Links: A High-Dimensional Online Clustering Method
This addresses the need for efficient, real-time clustering in applications such as person recognition from video or audio, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing online clustering concepts.
The authors tackled the problem of online clustering for high-dimensional unit vectors, introducing the Links algorithm which enables real-time identification from streaming data like face or voice embeddings.
We present a novel algorithm, called Links, designed to perform online clustering on unit vectors in a high-dimensional Euclidean space. The algorithm is appropriate when it is necessary to cluster data efficiently as it streams in, and is to be contrasted with traditional batch clustering algorithms that have access to all data at once. For example, Links has been successfully applied to embedding vectors generated from face images or voice recordings for the purpose of recognizing people, thereby providing real-time identification during video or audio capture.