Updated for OpenCV 4 and Python 3, this book covers the latest on depth cameras, 3D tracking, augmented reality, and deep neural networks, helping you solve real-world computer vision problems with practical code

Key Features

• Build powerful computer vision applications in concise code with OpenCV 4 and Python 3
• Learn the fundamental concepts of image processing, object classification, and 2D and 3D tracking
• Train, use, and understand machine learning models such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and neural networks

Book Description

Computer vision is a rapidly evolving science, encompassing diverse applications and techniques. This book will not only help those who are getting started with computer vision but also experts in the domain. You’ll be able to put theory into practice by building apps with OpenCV 4 and Python 3.

You’ll start by understanding OpenCV 4 and how to set it up with Python 3 on various platforms. Next, you’ll learn how to perform basic operations such as reading, writing, manipulating, and displaying still images, videos, and camera feeds. From taking you through image processing, video analysis, and depth estimation and segmentation, to helping you gain practice by building a GUI app, this book ensures you’ll have opportunities for hands-on activities. Next, you’ll tackle two popular challenges: face detection and face recognition. You’ll also learn about object classification and machine learning concepts, which will enable you to create and use object detectors and classifiers, and even track objects in movies or video camera feed. Later, you’ll develop your skills in 3D tracking and augmented reality. Finally, you’ll cover ANNs and DNNs, learning how to develop apps for recognizing handwritten digits and classifying a person's gender and age.

By the end of this book, you’ll have the skills you need to execute real-world computer vision projects.

What you will learn

• Install and familiarize yourself with OpenCV 4's Python 3 bindings
• Understand image processing and video analysis basics
• Use a depth camera to distinguish foreground and background regions
• Detect and identify objects, and track their motion in videos
• Train and use your own models to match images and classify objects
• Detect and recognize faces, and classify their gender and age
• Build an augmented reality application to track an image in 3D
• Work with machine learning models, including SVMs, artificial neural networks (ANNs), and deep neural networks (DNNs)

Who this book is for

If you are interested in learning computer vision, machine learning, and OpenCV in the context of practical real-world applications, then this book is for you. This OpenCV book will also be useful for anyone getting started with computer vision as well as experts who want to stay up-to-date with OpenCV 4 and Python 3. Although no prior knowledge of image processing, computer vision or machine learning is required, familiarity with basic Python programming is a must.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding OpenCV and Setting Up Environment
2. Handling Files, Cameras, and GUIs
3. Processing Images with OpenCV
4. Depth Estimation and Segmentation
5. Detecting and Recognizing Faces
6. Retrieving Images and Searching Using Image Descriptors
7. Building Custom Object Detectors
8. Tracking Objects
9. Camera Models and Augmented Reality
10. Neural Networks with OpenCV - An Introduction
11. Appendix 1: Bending Color Space with a Curves Filter

About the Author

Joseph Howse lives in a Canadian fishing village with four cats; the cats like fish, but they prefer chicken.

Joseph provides computer vision expertise through his company, Nummist Media. His books include OpenCV 4 for Secret Agents, Learning OpenCV 4 Computer Vision with Python 3, OpenCV 3 Blueprints, Android Application Programming with OpenCV 3, iOS Application Development with OpenCV 3, and Python Game Programming by Example, published by Packt.

Joe Minichino is an R&D labs engineer at Teamwork. He is a passionate programmer who is immensely curious about programming languages and technologies and constantly experimenting with them. Born and raised in Varese, Lombardy, Italy, and coming from a humanistic background in philosophy (at Milan's Università Statale), Joe has lived in Cork, Ireland, since 2004. There, he became a computer science graduate at the Cork Institute of Technology.