OpenCV 5, Support Non-Profit Open Source CV & AI

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Improving the Go-To Tool For Computer Vision & AI

In a world where massive AI projects are closed-source, and a handful of companies are set to control the future of AI, people are rightfully asking, where is OpenCV 5? The good news is we have the answer: at the end of this campaign. OpenCV is used everywhere, but as an open source library operated by a non-profit funding has become more and more difficult to come by. If you’ve benefitted from OpenCV in your career or education, please consider supporting the library today and helping ensure the future of this iconic toolset.

If you’re in a hurry, here’s the short version of awesome stuff coming to OpenCV in version 5: A new Deep Neural Network (DNN) module, Accelerated image processing, Truetype font support with full Unicode support, Improved support for fisheye camera calibration and multi-camera support, better support for depth cameras, new packages, better optimization for AMD CPUs and GPUs, much needed code refactoring and new tutorials for the new version.

Why OpenCV Is Important

OpenCV is the world’s largest computer vision library, actively developed since June 2000. It is used everywhere: In outer space on rovers and satellites, and on terra firma in emergency rooms, farms, factories, and college campuses. It’s open source, freely-licensed, and operated by a non-profit organization.

OpenCV was initially started as a library with a large collection of algorithms for researchers and academics. According to industry reports, 89% of embedded vision engineers use OpenCV as the primary computer vision library. One such project is Stanley, the vehicle that won the 2005 Autonomous Driving Grand Challenge organized by DARPA. Stanley is now a part of the Smithsonian.

OpenCV plays a vital role in the computer vision community. A Google Scholar search for OpenCV returns 175,000 results and a Google search returns 43,700,000 results. OpenCV has had an impact in all of the major computer vision advances in the last 23 years.

There are few independent organizations like OpenCV fighting to keep the greatest and most consequential technical innovations open to the public, not locked up and reserved for a few corporations. This campaign is a personal one for the team at OpenCV. We believe in the importance of OpenCV, and we believe in the OpenCV community.

This campaign is a challenge to both OpenCV the organization, and the international community of computer vision and AI. Raising these funds and successfully delivering OpenCV 5 will be a great proof of what we can achieve together, and to the benefit of all.

What’s Coming In OpenCV 5

Once the campaign has been funded, we’ll be publicly tracking the following proposed features to OpenCV 5. We’ve listed the features and what we expect the main ones to cost in developer time and resources. You can make your voice heard on these, or submit questions and suggestions on the official OpenCV GitHub account.

Deep Neural Networks Module: $150k
Accelerated image processing: $150k
Truetype font support (w. full Unicode): $50k
Improved support for fisheye camera calibration: [$100k + hardware ($20k approx) shared with multi-camera support]
Improved support for multi-camera calibration: [$100k + hardware ($20k approx) shared with fisheye camera]
Better support for depth cameras + new algorithms
Raspberry Pi package
Android Package
Jetson Package
Better optimization for AMD CPUs and GPUs
More models in OpenCV Model Zoo, such as Anomalib
Code refactoring/feature reduction: ($40k)
Much improved documentation with updated tutorials

Stretch Goals

If we surpass the $500,000 goal for OpenCV 5’s planned features, we’ve got more we want to do! You can help us smash thru the ceiling and accomplish some much-needed infrastructural improvements at OpenCV.

$600k: Hire a Full Time Senior Core Team member.
$700k – Add a second continuous integration and build server in a new location.
$800k – OpenCV AI Competition 2024 with at least $100k in prizes.
$1M – Freemium OpenCV Cloud for 3D Computer Vision. E.g. Training and inference for Gaussian Splatting.

We’ll provide more information about these items as the campaign progresses and we get closer to reaching the necessary number of pledges.

What Donors Will Receive

This campaign is different than most crowdfunding campaigns in that the majority of tiers do not have physical rewards associated with them, and it is operated by a non-profit organization, the Open Source Vision Foundation. Our campaign is indeed a philosophical one as well as functional– we are seeking to prove the generosity and self-sufficiency of the global open source and computer vision communities. We have gone beyond this and worked with several close partners to provide some nifty additions in the form of OpenCV University Courses, The Roboflow Starter Plan, OpenMV Cameras, and more to be announced (shhhhh).

OpenCV will also be hosting monthly developer “office hours” in the official OpenCV Slack server with a Core Team member after the campaign, at which time the community will be invited to ask questions and interact with the team.

All donors will receive their names in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV GitHub repository and releases, which are seen by millions around the world each month.

The Open Source Vision Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations to OpenCV are tax deductible in the United States, and OpenCV can provide a tax receipt if requested.

Donors at the OpenCV Visionary level will receive a customized plaque.

The Campaign Pledge Levels

There are a lot of ways in which you can help us financially in this campaign, and all funds raised will go directly toward development costs except for those noted below due to partner rewards. Some pledge levels will receive special benefits from OpenCV partners. There is no pattern to these numbers. Nope. None at all. Satya and Phil used ChatGPT to help name these pledge levels.

$21: (Budding Benefactor) For students and professionals in developing economies. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month. Plus, the peace of mind that you’d helping to create a future for open source computer vision and artificial intelligence, free to all with the desire to learn.
$55: (Step-Up Supporter) Suggested for professionals early in their career in CV & AI. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month. Plus, the peace of mind that you’re helping to create a future for open source computer vision and artificial intelligence, free to all with the desire to learn.
$89: (Third-Tier Titan) For mid-career professionals in CV & AI. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month. Plus, the peace of mind that you’d helping to create a future for open source computer vision and artificial intelligence, free to all with the desire to learn.
$144 (Save Icon Supporter) For people who just want to save an iconic non-profit open source project. We couldn’t save the floppy, but we can save OpenCV. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$233: (Prime Philanthropist) This is the pledge level for most professionals who use OpenCV regularly. That’s less than $20/mo for a tool you use every day. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$377 : (Marvelous Mover) The OpenMV Cam is a small, low power, microcontroller board which allows you to easily implement applications using machine vision in the real-world. Retail price $130 USD. Shipping costs not included. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$610: (Roboflow Royalty) 1-Month of Roboflow’s Starter plan, retail value $249. Roboflow has everything you need to build and deploy computer vision models in one online system. Starter gives you private datasets and more. Plus: Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$987 (Scholar Supporter) For those who want to support OpenCV and want an education in AI. The OpenCV U Pro Bundle: Mastering OpenCV with Python, CV & Deep Learning Applications, and DL with PyTorch OR DL with Keras. Retail price $1,447 USD. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$987 (Culinary Connoisseur) [Early Bird, Limit 5] Dinner with OpenCV Team including Gary Bradski, Satya Mallick, Phil Nelson at CVPR 2024. Date and location TBD. Does not include ticket to CVPR or travel. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$1597 (Super Scholar Supporter) Computer Vision & Deep Learning Master Bundle of courses: Mastering OpenCV with Python, CV & Deep Learning Applications, Fundamentals of CV & Image Processing, DL with PyTorch, DL with Keras, Mastering Generative AI Art. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$1597 (Culinary Connoisseur) [Limit 5] Dinner with OpenCV Team including Gary Bradski, Satya Mallick, Phil Nelson at CVPR 2024. Date and location TBD. Does not include ticket to CVPR or travel. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository which is downloaded millions of times per month.
$4181 (Consulting Champion) 10 hrs of consulting with top experts in computer vision and AI. They have deep experience with OpenCV, PyTorch, and Tensorflow. A plaque with your name and “OpenCV Supporter 2023” engraved on it. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository.
$5,000 (OpenCV Visionary) Become an OpenCV Visionary – an esteemed individual supporter of OpenCV. You’ll receive a gold-finished plaque with your name and “OpenCV Visionary 2023” engraved on it. Your name listed in the supporters.txt file in the official OpenCV repository.
$6,000 (OpenCV Bronze Organization) Your organization will become an OpenCV Bronze Member, lasting 12 months. Your logo will feature on the OpenCV website, is eligible to appear on OpenCV Live! streams, you’ll be featured in OpenCV’s popular newsletters, be included in a press release by OpenCV, and more. See full details (PDF)
$30,000 (OpenCV Silver Organization) Your organization will become an OpenCV Silver Member, lasting 12 months. You get pull request priority, your logo will feature on the OpenCV website, your’re eligible to appear on OpenCV Live! streams, you’ll be featured in OpenCV’s popular newsletters, be included in a press release by OpenCV, and several more benefits over the Bronze membership. See full details (PDF)
$100,000 (OpenCV Gold Organization) Your organization will become an OpenCV Gold Member, lasting 12 months. You get pull request priority, your logo on the OpenCV website, appearances on OpenCV Live! streams, being featured in OpenCV’s popular newsletters, press releases, and several more benefits over the Bronze and Silver memberships. See full details (PDF). Contact us if you’re interested in this tier.

Stanley, The 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge Winner

Stanley, the autonomous vehicle that was victorious in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, marked a significant milestone in the development of self-driving technology. Developed by a team from Stanford University, Stanley relied on a cutting-edge software framework called OpenCV, an open-source computer vision library. OpenCV was crucial to helping Stanley navigate a grueling 131-mile off-road course in the desert without human intervention. Stanley’s win not only demonstrated the power of computer vision and machine learning but also heavily influenced subsequent generations of self-driving cars.

Why We Are Crowdfunding OpenCV 5

OpenCV 5 is set to be a groundbreaking release. The core team has been hard at work scoping out new state-of-the-art algorithms, expanded availability on more platforms, enhanced integration with other tools, and optimizations for more and different types of hardware. The proposed changes and additions are large and will require significant time and effort by both the core team and the amazing contributors on GitHub.

Recently, due to global conflicts and instability, OpenCV has lost several core team members, and this has slowed progress on both new feature development and the handling of bugs and requests in the GitHub repository.

Our goals with crowdfunding the development of OpenCV 5 are several: 1) To make OpenCV 5 our biggest release ever, with the most community participation of any version so far, 2) To prove to other struggling open source projects that crowdfunding is a viable option over seeking corporate donations exclusively, 3) To create a sustainable method of fundraising that OpenCV can return to year after year, making the overall organization and project more robust to global instability.

Crowdfunding development of a big Open Source project like OpenCV is a big move. We aren’t aware of ANYONE doing it at this scale. As a non-profit organization, we are constantly fighting to find funding, but we always find support in our community. Instead of spending our time chasing big checks from billionaires, we are putting that community front and center.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you don’t want to or simply can’t contribute to the campaign financially, you can still help! Here are some ways to support the campaign without sending money:

Sign Up To Volunteer: Fill out the volunteer application form, and let us know how you can help with the campaign. Thank you to the 70+ who have already signed up to volunteer! The more the merrier!
Spread the Word: Share this exciting news with your developer networks, on social media, and within your community. Help us reach a broader audience passionate about computer vision.
#ILoveOpenCV: Take a video of yourself saying “I Love OpenCV!” and upload it to your platform of choice (Twitter, YouTube, etc) with the #ILoveOpenCV hashtag and a link to the campaign page on IndieGoGo.

Follow & Subscribe To OpenCV

Follow OpenCV on LinkedIn
Follow OpenCV on Mastodon
Follow OpenCV on Twitter/X @OpenCVLive
Subscribe on YouTube
Follow OpenCV on Threads
Sponsor OpenCV on Github
Join OpenCV AI Competition 2023
Join the Official OpenCV Community Slack Server

About OpenCV University

The Scholar Supporter, Super Scholar Supporter, and Supreme Scholar Supporter perks include a selection of courses from OpenCV University, the world’s most trustworthy destination for online learning of Computer Vision, Deep Learning, and AI. For more information see the official OpenCV University website.

About OpenMV Cam RT1062

The OpenMV Cam is a small, low power, microcontroller board which allows you to easily implement applications using machine vision in the real-world. You program the OpenMV Cam in high level Python scripts (courtesy of the MicroPython Operating System) instead of C/C++. This makes it easier to deal with the complex outputs of machine vision algorithms and working with high level data structures. But, you still have total control over your OpenMV Cam and its I/O pins in Python. You can easily trigger taking pictures and video on external events or execute machine vision algorithms to figure out how to control your I/O pins. For full specifications see the official product page.

About OpenCV Membership

The $6,000, $30,000, and $100,000 tiers are for organizations who wish to make a big splash and become official OpenCV Member organizations during this campaign.

Credits and More Information

Many of the pledge tier names were generated with the help of ChatGPT.

Stanley video courtesy of Gary Bradski.

Special thanks to Linda Sue Nelson.