What is Computer Vision? - Explanation & Meaning

Definition

Computer vision is a field within artificial intelligence that enables computers to interpret and understand visual information from the world — such as images and video — similar to the human visual system.

Technical explanation

Computer vision leverages deep learning models, notably convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and vision transformers (ViTs), to process visual data. Core areas include image classification (labeling an entire image), object detection (localizing and classifying objects within an image via bounding boxes), semantic segmentation (labeling every pixel), and instance segmentation (distinguishing individual objects). OCR (Optical Character Recognition) extracts text from images and documents. In 2026, multimodal models like GPT-4V and Gemini Pro Vision can understand complex visual scenes and describe them in natural language. Real-time object detection models like YOLOv9 achieve accuracies above 95% on common objects. Edge deployment via optimized models (TensorRT, ONNX) enables computer vision on mobile devices and IoT sensors. Generative models such as Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 3 have blurred the line between analysis and creation.

How MG Software applies this

At MG Software, we develop computer vision solutions for clients across various sectors. From automated document processing with OCR to quality control on production lines, we integrate visual AI into business processes. We use both cloud APIs and on-premise models depending on latency and privacy requirements.

Practical examples

• A manufacturing company deploying computer vision for automated quality control, where cameras on the production line detect defects with 99.2% accuracy — faster and more consistent than human inspectors.
• A logistics company combining OCR and computer vision to automatically scan, process, and route package labels, increasing processing speed by 70%.
• A retail chain using computer vision for customer counting and movement analysis in stores, optimizing floor layouts based on actual customer behavior.

Related terms