NLM Hosts Pill Image Recognition Challenge

The National Library of Medicine is hosting a Pill Image Recognition Challenge and seeks algorithms and software to match images of prescription oral solid-dose pharmaceutical medications (pills, including capsules and tablets). The objectives of the Challenge are the development and discovery of high-quality algorithms and software that rank how well consumer images of prescription pills match reference images of pills in the authoritative NLM RxIMAGE database. NLM will use the Challenge entries (i.e., algorithms and software) to create a future API (Application Programming Interface) and a future software system for pill image recognition; the API will be freely accessible and the system will be freely usable.

The submission period for the Challenge is April 4, 2016 through May 31, 2016, with winners announced August 1, 2016.

Please refer to these resources for additional information:

Submission Instructions: https://pir.nlm.nih.gov/challenge/

Federal Register Notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/01/19/2016-00777/announcement-of-requirements-and-registration-for-pill-image-recognition-challenge

Your questions and comments about the NLM Pill Image Recognition Challenge are welcome. Please send them to: PIR@nlm.nih.gov.