Computer Vision for Busy Developers

Introduction to Computer Vision

This article is part of a series introducing developers to Computer Vision. Check out other articles in this series.

What is Computer Vision?

Computer vision (sometimes called Machine Vision) is exactly as it sounds. It’s the mechanism which allows software to see and, ultimately, understand the world. Most applications of Computer Vision involve software algorithms and camera components to “see” the world. Components such as lenses, sensors, lighting, etc. With that being said, there’s no reason why you would not be able to use computer vision algorithms and techniques to understand images beyond the use of a camera — such as digital or traditional paintings or other visual artwork. At its simplest, computer vision is the mechanism which we use to understand digital images.

Why do you care?

If you are on the fence and trying to figure out whether Computer Vision is something you want to explore, consider that Computer Vision is becoming increasingly relevant in various fields of computer science. I’ve personally seen Computer Vision research referenced in the following areas:

• Augmented / Virtual / Mixed Reality
• Autonomous Vehicles
• Image Processing (many use-cases, including Photography (Lightroom))
• Computational Photography (“Portrait Mode” on modern phones)