LeafView: A User Interface for Automated Botanical Species Identification and Data Collection

LeafView is a Tablet-PC–based user interface for automated identification of botanical species in the field, developed for the Columbia, University of Maryland and Smithsonian Electronic Field Guide Project. Leaf images are captured with a digital camera and wirelessly transferred to the tablet. A computer vision component developed by our colleagues finds the best set of matching species, and we present the results in a zoomable user interface. Samples are matched with existing species or marked unknown for further study. A history of collected samples along with collection context can be browsed for further study and comparison. The system has been field tested by Smithsonian botanists on Plummers Island, Maryland.