OpenCV 4 for Secret Agents

Book excerpt: Turn futuristic ideas about computer vision and machine learning into demonstrations that are both functional and entertaining Key FeaturesBuild OpenCV 4 apps with Python 2 and 3 on desktops and Raspberry Pi, Java on Android, and C# in UnityDetect, classify, recognize, and measure real-world objects in real-timeWork with images from diverse sources, including the web, research datasets, and various camerasBook Description OpenCV 4 is a collection of image processing functions and computer vision algorithms. It is open source, supports many programming languages and platforms, and is fast enough for many real-time applications. With this handy library, you’ll be able to build a variety of impressive gadgets. OpenCV 4 for Secret Agents features a broad selection of projects based on computer vision, machine learning, and several application frameworks. To enable you to build apps for diverse desktop systems and Raspberry Pi, the book supports multiple Python versions, from 2.7 to 3.7. For Android app development, the book also supports Java in Android Studio, and C# in the Unity game engine. Taking inspiration from the world of James Bond, this book will add a touch of adventure and computer vision to your daily routine. You’ll be able to protect your home and car with intelligent camera systems that analyze obstacles, people, and even cats. In addition to this, you’ll also learn how to train a search engine to praise or criticize the images that it finds, and build a mobile app that speaks to you and responds to your body language. By the end of this book, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to advance your skills as an app developer and a computer vision specialist. What you will learnDetect motion and recognize gestures to control a smartphone gameDetect car headlights and estimate their distanceDetect and recognize human and cat faces to trigger an alarmAmplify motion in a real-time video to show heartbeats and breathsMake a physics simulation that detects shapes in a real-world drawingBuild OpenCV 4 projects in Python 3 for desktops and Raspberry PiDevelop OpenCV 4 Android applications in Android Studio and UnityWho this book is for If you are an experienced software developer who is new to computer vision or machine learning, and wants to study these topics through creative projects, then this book is for you. The book will also help existing OpenCV users who want upgrade their projects to OpenCV 4 and new versions of other libraries, languages, tools, and operating systems. General familiarity with object-oriented programming, application development, and usage of operating systems (OS), developer tools, and the command line is required.