Seeing More With Technology

Any size of business can benefit from computer vision – this isn’t something reserved only for companies with billions of staff members. If you like the sound of things like automated data processing, you should think about beginning to integrate it into your business!

We’ll be discussing computer vision in this article, including what it is and how it works. Its use for business will also be covered – and its wide array of practical applications. If, by the end, you’re wondering how to start using it yourself, we’ll also be featuring some of the best places to get started – lucky you!

computer code

What Is Computer Vision?

It works off the basis of a big biological process for a large majority of humans – their eyesight! The basics of computer vision revolve around AI attempting to ‘see’ like humans – they can pinpoint certain aspects of visual input, and even act on this information in certain ways.

Characteristics of an image, such as colour, size, shape, texture and arrangement of objects (just to name a few!) can be deciphered from a picture with the use of computer vision. Not only that, but computer vision can be used to perform actions, such as these main ones:

  • Classification (grouping images into broad categories, e.g. arranging images by colour for an aesthetic artist’s website)
  • Detection (searching for an object in an image, e.g. finding an animal in zoo camera footage to ensure it hasn’t escaped)
  • Recognition (facial or gesture recognition, e.g. pinpointing a criminal from CCTV footage)

As this is still an emerging technology, there are many more developments expected to be released soon – it really is recommended that you utilise computer vision sooner rather than later, so you can get accustomed to using it in good time and be ready for new developments as they come.

a big eye made up of computer circuitry

How Does Computer Vision Work?

Computers repeatedly receive data until they can begin to template match – or identify common features within images. These features can be used to help perform an action, depending on what they’re programmed to do.

For example, if a program receives an input of 15 lighthouse images, they will look for similarities in order to form a perception of a lighthouse – the shape, size, colour and other visual aspects will make this up. Then, in other sets of data it receives, it can make an assumption based on its previous knowledge as to whether the new picture includes a lighthouse.

One of the advantages is that the system does all the work automatically, so there’s not much you’ll need to do except feed it images and prompt it to act in a certain way. Additionally, it is done extremely quickly and the more data it is fed, the more accurate it will be. However, there may need to be some occasional checking in on the program in order to make sure that it isn’t confusing similar objects, like a cat and a dog.

an eye with binary code

Business Uses Of Computer Vision

There are tons of business uses for computer vision, and loads of programs to help you achieve it! No matter your sector, there is bound to be a way in which computer vision can benefit you – if you’re in retail, use it for inventory management and arranging customer demographics. For manufacturing, minimise defects and ensure production continuity. In security, you’ll want facial recognition and weapons detection – the applications are endless.

Computer Vision Software

As promised, we’ll help you jump right in by recommending some great software to start using. First off, SimpleCV allows users to gain access to computer vision libraries, and they have some really clear demonstrations of how their software works on their website.

Viso Suite allows users to implement computer vision without any coding knowledge, and is used by some governmental organisations. It prides itself on being able to preserve your privacy through its secure infrastructure and compliance with GDPR.

Next up is TensorFlow, which is an end-to-end machine-learning platform that supports picture and speech recognition, object detection and more. They offer a service for both experts and novices with technology, understanding that we all have to start somewhere! They’ll follow you all the way from preparation to implementation, meaning you can be certain that your strategy works.

a robot hand

Conclusion

That was all about the revolutionary computer vision technology that your business could be using, right now! If you’d like a second opinion, the Lincoln Be Smarter Scheme offers the opportunity for academic support, as well as grant funding of up to £50k to support your business’ quest to use the most up-to-date technology; get in touch with us today!