A challenge has just been announced by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) to develop technologies for a new rich media search engine.The Singapore organisation, which aims to foster a knowledge-based Singapore, will run the global competition for eight months, it revealed.
Named The Star Challenge 2008, its purpose is to create a search engine that works across all multimedia platforms, including Web 2.0 and user-generated content websites such as Facebook and YouTube.
Commenting on the initiative, A*Star stated: "[This] multi-stage competition will see teams trying to outdo one another in creating algorithms that can search audio and video files for specific characteristics, objects and events at record time, in the absence of tagged information."
Contestants are required to create a search engine that can identify search terms found not only in text within websites, but also in video and music files. The winner will receive a prize of $100,000.
"This ... competition is not just about running another digital or software competition," stated A*Star chairman Mr Lim Chuan Poh.
"Developing such search capabilities will radically change the way people interact with multimedia information, creating seamless and accessible platforms for people across different online communities," he added.
According to A*Star, the challenge is open to people located anywhere in the world, especially top software engineers, search media enthusiasts and leading researchers.
