Visual kansei modeling based on focal area analysis and hierarchical classification

This paper discusses a modeling technique for visual kansei (visual impression), which differs depending on the individual user. The visual impression is considered at two levels, the impression at the physiological level, which does not differ much between individuals, and the impression at the psychological level, which differs according to the individual’s knowledge and experience. The modeling technique for the impression at the physiological level is considered as follows. The image feature parameters simulating the feature extraction mechanism of the visual perception process are defined and are extracted from the image. A hierarchical classification of the database simulating the human intuitive image classification process, image structure estimation using MDL, and discrimination analysis are combined to produce a modeling technique for the impression at the psychological level. After combining the modeling techniques at the physiological and psychological levels, the method is applied to a similar image retrieval system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 38(13): 58–71, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ scj.20400