A Framework for the Discovery, Analysis, and Retrieval of Multimedia Homemade Explosives Information on the Web

Abstract

This work proposes a novel framework that integrates diverse state-of-the-art technologies for the discovery, analysis, retrieval, and recommendation of heterogeneous Web resources containing multimedia information about homemade explosives (HMEs), with particular focus on HME recipe information. The framework corresponds to a knowledge management platform that enables the interaction with HME information, and consists of three major components: (i) a discovery component that allows for the identification of HME resources on the Web, (ii) a content-based multimedia analysis component that detects HME-related concepts in multimedia content, and (iii) an indexing, retrieval, and recommendation component that processes the available HME information to enable its (semantic) search and provision of similar information. The proposed framework is being developed in a user-driven manner, based on the requirements of law enforcement and security agencies personnel, as well as HME domain experts. In addition, its development is guided by the characteristics of HME Web resources, as these have been observed in an empirical study conducted by HME domain experts. Overall, this framework is envisaged to increase the operational effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement and security agencies in their quest to keep the citizen safe.