The continual rapid development of technology is taking businesses to places that they wouldn’t have dreamed possible just a couple of decades ago. Even in businesses where certain applications of technology would have previously be seen as inane, it is being utilised to either bolster existing businesses and their practices or creating new niches within the established industry.
One of the most exciting strains of technology which is developing into an increasingly integral part of the world of business is computer vision. Through the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, computers are able to acquire images through their cameras, process them, and analyse them to understand what they mean, resulting in the computer making decisions based on the content of the images. It’s advanced but increasingly accessible technology to businesses which is already being deployed by many leading companies.
Entertainment businesses among the early adopters of computer vision
Source: Pixabay
The entertainment industry is vast and very willing to adopt new and emerging technology to try to produce unique or better entertainment options for the masses. We saw it with the craze of 3D cinematic releases, and we’re seeing now that virtual reality gaming is taking a foothold and edging away from the categorisation of ‘niche’. Many entertainment businesses are already deploying computer vision with varying effects on the audience.
One of the most visually obvious ways in which computer vision has been put to work is in live gaming. When people are playing blackjack online, they have the choice of many flash games, but the most popular is proving to be the live blackjack games, where a real dealer is streamed to the player in real-time so that the player can play blackjack live. Through the use of optical character recognition software, the computer vision recognises the cards being played and determines if the players or the dealer wins each game.
While the live games require a lot of set-up through the use of specialised software, dealers, and cameras, computer vision doesn’t always require such lengths to become an effective part of the offering. In mobile phones, iPhones utilises facial recognition software, and Snapchat offers filters for images, both of which are powered by computer vision.
Enhancing and empowering workers, not replacing them
Source: Pixabay
Whenever a new technology is introduced which can effectively perform the tasks of some employees is announced, the primary fear is that it will replace some workers. However, while computer vision has the power to perform the tasks which have, until now, been the point at which human intervention is required and kept a balance between human and computer input, the technology will grant workers more time to perform and focus on higher-value tasks.
With the artificial intelligence running point on collecting data from images, analysing the information within, and making decisions for the network based on the analysis, employees are afforded more time and resources to focus on advancing the business or completing high-value tasks instead of spending the bulk of their time performing the routine tasks.
Computer vision is opening up new and exciting businesses opportunities by creating new ways to engage with customers as well as granting employees more time to focus on business-enhancing tasks.
