Computer vision is an artificial intelligence field that allows applications to understand and process visual information from the physical world. By analysing images and video feeds, computer vision systems can extract meaningful data, recognise patterns, and make intelligent decisions. In mobile and web application development, computer vision capabilities enable innovative features that improve user experience and add significant value to products.
Core Capabilities
Computer vision systems perform several key functions. Object detection identifies and locates specific items within images or video frames. Facial recognition verifies identity or categorises faces in images. Image classification assigns labels to entire images based on their content. Optical character recognition (OCR) extracts text from images and scanned documents. Pose estimation identifies human body positions and movements. These capabilities form the foundation for building intelligent visual applications.
Application Development Integration
Developers integrate computer vision into applications through APIs and libraries. TensorFlow, OpenCV, and PyTorch provide powerful tools for building custom models. Cloud-based services like Google Cloud Vision, Amazon Rekognition, and Microsoft Azure Computer Vision offer pre-trained models without requiring deep machine learning expertise. Mobile frameworks like Core ML for iOS and TensorFlow Lite for Android enable on-device vision processing, reducing latency and protecting user privacy.
Real-World Use Cases
Computer vision powers numerous practical applications. Receipt scanning apps extract spending data from photos. Retail apps identify products using camera images. Healthcare applications analyse medical images and scan documents. Augmented reality features use vision to understand environment geometry. Quality control systems inspect manufactured products. Social media platforms leverage vision for content moderation and automated tagging. As vision technology improves, new possibilities continue emerging for innovative application features.