A Vision for the Future [Soapbox]

Abstract

For the past 40 years, computer scientists and engineers have been building technology that has allowed machine vision to be used in high-value applications from factory automation to Mars rovers. However, until now, the availability of computational power has limited the application of these technologies to niches with a strong enough need to overcome the cost and power hurdles. This is changing rapidly as the computational means have now become available to bring computer vision to mass-market applications in mobile phones, tablets, wearables, drones, and robots, enabling brand-new user experiences within the cost, power, and volumetric constraints of mobile platforms.