Since the late 1960s when scientists first began experimenting with ways to analyze and interpret images and video, computer vision has evolved on pace with technological advances. Along the way, discoveries of computer vision applications have led to offshoots of computer vision that have become successful in their own right. They include:
Machine Vision
Machine vision is perhaps the most successful offshoot of computer vision. Used in industrial settings since the late 1970s, machine vision is typically employed in manufacturing to conduct automatic inspections and for sorting and material handling. In addition, machine vision is being used for robot guidance in industrial and manufacturing settings. The success of machine vision has led to its own offshoots, among them video analytics. Traditionally used in automotive manufacturing to inspect parts, and later in license plate recognition, video analytics is now being considered for security technology, particularly wireless applications in retail settings and outdoor environments.
Biological Vision
Biological vision takes the principles of computer vision and applies them to humans and other animals. While computer vision interprets the processes of hardware and software in artificial vision systems, biological vision uses similar practices to study the physiological processes of visual perception and the human consciousness.
Robotic Vision
Robotic vision applies computer vision to the field of service robotics. Built-in cameras and sensors allow robots to move about unmanned, able to detect obstacles they encounter and translate back data of what they are seeing. Computer vision has enabled robotic vision to advance its applications into a wide range of fields, including the military, aerospace and space exploration, law enforcement, nuclear and industrial. In addition, research is focusing on areas that include human-robot interfaces, tele-assistance services and multi-sensorial perception.
Augmented Reality Applications
An offshoot of computer vision and computer graphics, augmented reality provides a live view of a real-world situation and enhances some of its elements by computer-generated applications, such as graphics, sounds, or GPS. An example of augmented reality is when television networks broadcasting a live pro football game display a yellow line over the field to indicate the distance from a first down or goal.
In this decade, we will continue to see offshoots of computer vision as the potential of the science continues to be discovered. And the future holds many possibilities for other branches of computer vision as well.