Google acquires Plink visual search engine

Google has announced plans to acquire Plink, a small UK company that develops a visual search engine.

The acquisition is Google's first in the UK, and Plink founders Mark Cummins and James Philbin will be drafted in to work on Google Goggles, a visual search application for Android-based phones.

"Google has already shown that it is serious about investing in this space with Google Goggles," said Cummins and Philbin in a blog post.

"For the Plink team the opportunity to take our algorithms to Google-scale was just too exciting to pass up."

Google is particularly interested in the PlinkArt visual search engine which can identify paintings or artworks. The user simply takes a photo of the painting, and the software provides relevant information.

The technology has already been given a test a run as an app on Google's Android Market, but Plink will now move over to Google.

"We won't be updating the app and will instead focus our development efforts on Google Goggles, so you'll see new functionality appearing there in the future," said the blog post.