IS YOUR COMPUTER CAPABLE OF VISION?
The idea of vision for computers is a rather compelling topic because it presents so much mystery and adventure in its study.
First, what does it mean to have the capability of vision or to be able to see?
Vision isn’t just about capturing the world around us. Being able to understand what we capture as well is what constitutes vision.
So now, can the computer see?
Technically, no. However, there is a new field of study in computer science that has experimented and implemented a system in which the computer can understand images and videos. That is called Computer Vision.
Computer Vision is a rapidly evolving field of science and technology that enhances the capability of any computing system to be able to understand the world around it.
It does so by accumulating sequences of images (videos), processing them into a language it can understand and comparing the results to a set of instructions given by a programmer that tells it exactly what to do.
The computer on its own does not understand videos or images it captures because it stores them as zeros (0) and ones (1). That is why it needs a set of instructions from a programmer to be able to understand them but, couple that concept with Artificial Intelligence and now you have a computer system that can understand the world around it visually all by itself. Isn’t that awesome?
In this presentation, we are going to understand everything there is to know about computer vision and its presence in our ever growing and technologically advanced world…
So now the question is, “Is computer vision of any relevance to us?”
Just like how the computer has disrupted our way or work and the global economy, computer vision is set to do the same and even more.
To comprehend that, let’s take a look at some of the implementations of computer vision in our lives;
- Autonomous Vehicles: This is a buzzing topic! The idea behind autonomous vehicles as you might have heard is for vehicles to be able to move without the interference of humans. I’m sure you’ve heard of Auto-Pilot in aviation, to let the airplane fly itself based on a set of met conditions. This concept is already being implemented by companies such as Google, Tesla and other automakers. I’m sure you are wondering how on earth a car moves without a driver… Well, let’s focus on how the car moves to gain a better understanding of this mystery. A car’s driver is to push some buttons, press on the foot controls and turn the steering wheel to get a car to move from point A to B. All these controls are electrical systems that send signals to the car’s mechanical makeup to get it moving. The number one requirement a driver must meet to be eligible to drive is sight. You wouldn’t want a blind driver carrying you anywhere, would you?
Computers with vision can completely replace human drivers to get cars moving. Fascinating, right?
One reason why you would want a computer to drive you is for better performance which will result in less traffic on the roads, lower accident rates, and a highly efficient transportation system.
- Smartphones: Ever wondered how your phone’s camera system is capable of putting you in focus while taking a selfie? How is it capable of capturing the best photos and videos without much effort from you? Well, it’s computer vision! Because your phone can understand the world around it, it is capable of telling whether a photo taken is too dark or too bright and applies the necessary filters to make it look just about right…That’s a major win for computer vision because almost every smartphone user loves taking selfies. In the smartphone system, there have been other amazing implementations such as being able to track and measure the dimensions of objects and Augmented Reality(AR) integration using object tracking (Snapchat and Instagram heavily use this technology to apply filters to your cute faces).
- Health: The healthcare sector has seen a major leap in the use of imaging systems to improve and accelerate diagnostics. This is an incredible time to be alive! Now, it is easier to predict when you will fall sick based on your appearance in a set of cameras. In clinical psychology, we have computer systems that can tell if you are happy or sad and play just the right song to revive you. To me, that’s a major leap forward in improving the quality of our lives.
- Firefighting: With advanced computer vision systems, satellites can now analyze terrestrial images and be able to determine if an area of a forest is prone to fire and that’s not all. With robots equipped with advanced vision systems, search and rescue in the event of fire outbreaks could be a breeze. There are dozens of concept robots being introduced by tech startups and other tech companies that seek to achieve this feat.
- Surveillance: Through CCTV cameras, it is easier to keep watch than ever before. It is not just about keeping watch but being able to identify threats so as to take effective decisions. Surveillance can be applied in so many areas of our lives such as, agriculture (to monitor crops and livestock), security (to keep watch on the citizens), etc.
- Research & Development: Imagine NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars — a planet man is yet to touch down on but, we have seen pictures of the surface of Mars due to the rover’s extreme navigation system which utilizes computer vision.
The depth to which computer vision can be useful is unlimited but to get a broader look, imagine all the things you can do because you can see? Anywhere sight is a requirement, computer vision can fill the role and do a better job than us humans.
It is my passion to digest these complex technologies to your understanding and help you realize your interests. Follow for more on Computer Vision and other tech concepts.
To Be Continued…
