As advanced technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) become popular, the role of machine learning and deep learning in security and connected devices will increase, according to Clarifai, a company that focuses on making computers recognize images and video.
As advanced technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) become popular, the role of machine learning and deep learning in security and connected devices will increase, according to Clarifai, a company that focuses on making computers recognize images and video.
“As the Internet of Things helps our homes become more connected and ‘smart’, image recognition will not only play a large part in home security but also everyday convenience,” said Matt Zeiler, CEO and Founder of Clarifai. “For example, one could build an app for the connected toilet where the toilet seat would automatically lower if it sees a woman approaching, and raise if it sees a man approaching. Or, one could build an app where you take a photo of your living room and it recommends new furniture or decor for your home.”
“As the Internet of Things helps our homes become more connected and ‘smart’, image recognition will not only play a large part in home security, but also everyday convenience,”
- Matt Zeiler, CEO and Founder, Clarifai.
Defining deep learning
Clarifai specializes in a field of machine learning known as “computer vision” that teaches computers to “see” images and video. Each image is processed on a pixel by pixel basis through convoluted neural networks, which are networks that simulate how the brain works.
These networks are composed of multiple layers that extract increasingly more complex representations from the image. The first layer may learn to recognize the edges and colors, while the second layer learns corners and curves. Diving many layers deep into the network, the layers represent object parts and even entire objects. This depth is what the phrase deep learning refers to.
Applications in security
Although not limited to it, Clarifai’s technology can play a key role in security surveillance. At present, the company works only with home security.
“Our image recognition solution can be used in security software to identify people, places, objects, and more. It can also be used to detect unusual patterns and activities,” Zeiler said. “Clarifai works with home security companies to protect people in their homes and help make their lives better.”
As the technology progresses, deep learning will continue to help gain insights using big data that were previously inaccessible, particularly in image and video.
“Clarifai’s solution helps brands analyze social media conversations through images and video, so they can understand and derive meaning from images even when there is no caption, metadata, or hashtag,” Zeiler said. “Clarifai also allows companies to process and analyze higher volumes of data than ever before with near-instant results -- for example, a video that would take an hour to watch and understand can now be understood in a matter of seconds.”