VLAD

VLAD (Vector of Locally Aggregated Descriptors) is a technique used in computer vision to efficiently represent images. It summarizes local features—small details detected in an image—by capturing how they differ from certain reference points (called cluster centers). These differences are combined into a single, compact vector, which serves as a unique 'signature' of the image. This allows for quick image comparison and retrieval, making tasks like searching large image collections faster and more accurate without needing to analyze every detail individually.