Applications in Industry and Research - iffatAGheyas/computer-vision-handbook GitHub Wiki

🌐 Applications of Computer Vision in Industry and Research

Computer Vision isn’t just academic—it’s everywhere, powering tools you use daily and transforming industries. Here’s a look at how it’s used in the real world.


1. Healthcare and Medical Imaging

  • Tumour detection in MRI or CT scans
  • Diabetic retinopathy screening from eye images
  • Skin lesion classification (melanoma vs benign)
  • Example: Deep learning for eye-disease detection

2. Autonomous Vehicles

  • Lane detection, pedestrian detection and traffic-sign recognition
  • Real-time decision-making using multiple camera feeds
  • Example: Tesla and Waymo self-driving systems

3. Manufacturing and Industry

  • Quality inspection (e.g. detecting cracks or defects)
  • Robotics for pick-and-place on assembly lines
  • Object tracking for automation
  • Example: Conveyor-belt systems with real-time image processing

4. Retail and E-Commerce

  • Visual product search (e.g. “shop the look”)
  • Automatic checkout systems (Amazon Go)
  • Shelf inventory monitoring using cameras

5. Security and Surveillance

  • Facial recognition
  • Intrusion detection
  • Licence-plate recognition
  • Example: City-wide AI-powered surveillance networks

6. Consumer Technology

  • Face unlock on smartphones
  • Filters and AR effects on Instagram and Snapchat
  • Photo enhancement and scene recognition in smartphone cameras

7. Scientific Research

  • Astronomy: galaxy classification from telescope images
  • Biology: cell counting and tracking in microscopy
  • Environmental monitoring: deforestation and wildlife tracking using drones

🌍 Summary Table

Industry Use-Case Example
Healthcare Tumour detection in medical scans
Automotive Pedestrian and lane detection
Retail Shelf monitoring and automated checkout
Surveillance Facial and licence-plate recognition
Consumer Tech AR filters and face unlock
Science Microscopy and satellite image analysis