Computer Vision, 6 Things to Know

Understanding computer vision and the advanceds of technology is essential for wanting to learn more about programming and machine learning.

The advance of technology has made a lot of things possible, including the ability for computers to understand images. By using machine learning, you can program a computer to understand the difference between colors and elements in photos and videos. And over time, the technology will continue to get better. But what’s so important about it now? Before you start implementing this technology into your business, you should know the basics.

It’s Called Computer Vision

This type of technology is called computer vision, and it’s where the computer uses its sense of vision to detect parts of an image. You can use the technology to analyze anything visual, including logos and icons. Some scientists believe that computers use similar processes to our own brains to interpret images. However, there’s a lot that scientists don’t know about the brain. Because of that, it’s also hard to tell how the technology works for computers.

It Has a Long History

Computers have had some ability to detect images for decades. However, as computers become more powerful, they are getting better at interpreting and analyzing different images and videos. Improvements in data storage and machine learning have allowed for people to experiment with computers and image analysis. Over the coming years, the technology will probably advance even more. As that happens, people will be able to use it for all sorts of tasks.

It Uses Objects

Computer vision uses objects in a couple of ways, and both methods help analyze photos and videos. First, object identification is how computers can recognize faces. If you’ve ever seen that Facebook suggests you’re in a photo and you are, that’s probably due to object identification. It can work for separating other objects, too. On the other hand, object classification puts objects into specific categories. You can set up different categories based on what you need, and you can train the computer to recognize where an object should go.

It Analyzes Pixels

While it would be amazing if a computer could distinguish a tree from a bush, that’s not entirely how it works. Instead, the computer uses individual pixels. Different colored pixels correspond to different numbers that the computer can recognize. The color numbers are based on the specific representation of red, green and blue within the pixel. For example, white is a mix of all three, whereas black doesn’t contain any of the three colors. As the computer learns what colors mean what, it can start to categorize and label different objects.

It Has Many Uses

The technology is great to have because it works well for so many industries. In the world of healthcare, it can help analyze scans and detect health problems. Security firms can use the technology to analyze biometrics like fingerprints, and they can also perform retinal scans. The transportation industry can use it to program and operate autonomous vehicles. With the technology, cars will be able to locate and detect other vehicles and potential roadblocks. Meanwhile, manufacturers can use computer vision to help with quality control and minimize manufacturing errors.

It Has a Bright Future

As scientists and other professionals work with the technology, they will continue to discover more about what it can do. Some experts expect that it will be able to help blind people detect objects without the help of other people. Artificial intelligence will continue to improve over time, and that extends to every bit of this technology. Once it becomes mainstream, you will be able to use it for many things at home. Whether you have vision problems or not, it can be helpful for navigating in the dark, for example.

Whether you’ve been following the advancement of artificial intelligence or not, you should know about upcoming technologies. Computer visual analyzation technology is becoming more and more important. Not only does it have a lot of uses, but it has a huge future ahead for professionals and individuals alike.