Intel is gearing up to deliver autonomous driving. That's not all, it also wants to bet big on the internet of things (IoT) space and wants to power connected devices. In this effort, the company announced the acquisition of computer vision form Itseez.
With computer vision, devices will be able to read and analyse pictorial input that results in informed, automated actions. Apart from its use in autonomous vehicles, the technology can also be implemented in functional safety and over-the-air software management, Doug Davis, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's IoT group, wrote in a blog post.
Davis wrote that that Itseez' computer vision technology will enable Intel's customers to develop deep-learning-based applications and implement them in industrial inspection, surveillance and other domains. This means that a connected surveillance camera, with computer vision programmed into it, could identify a crime as it is taking place and alert the authorities immediately.
Computer vision is also being developed by Microsoft. The company's CEO Satya Nadella delivered a keynote address in New Delhi on Monday and spoke of a future where apps encoded with computer vision will become a part of our everyday lives.
The Tech for Good, Ideas for India event, where Nadella delivered his address, also featured a computer vision-based app called Spot Garbage through which users can click pictures of garbage dumped by the side of the road. The app uses computer vision to identify garbage and notifies the authorities, suggesting the most efficient route that could be taken to reach the location.
For Intel, Itseez will form a key part of its IoT road map. Itseez's technology is already reported to be featured in cars, security systems and more. Intel is reportedly focusing on end-to-end IoT solutions addressing devices, wired and wireless networks and the cloud. "The IoT future we're building for our customers is exciting, and the talented team at Itseez will help us get there, faster," Davis wrote.
