Research in visual database systems can be characterized by scalability, multi-modality of interaction, and higher semantic levels of data. Visual interfaces that allow users to interact with large databases must scale to web and distributed applications. Interaction with databases must employ multiple and more diversified interaction modalities, such as speech and gesture, in addition to visual exploitation. Finally, the basic elements managed in modern databases are rapidly evolving, from text, images, sound, and video, to compositions and now annotations of these media, thus incorporating ever-higher levels and different facets of semantics. In addition to visual interfaces and multimedia databases, this text includes research in the following areas: speech and aural interfaces to databases; visualization of web applications and database structure; retrieval of image databases; visual querying in geographical information systems; video databases; and virtual environment and modelling of complex shapes.