In this reading, Levin argues that the tools, techniques, and physical setups required for basic computer vision are no longer exclusive to only specialists, they can now be used by students and artists. Reading this article really got me thinking about how different human vision is from computer vision.
One way computer vision differs from human vision is that computers don’t have a built-in understanding; they just see pixels and values. They need algorithms to interpret color, brightness, motion, etc. Humans, on the other hand, have an innate understanding.
Some techniques we can use to help the computer see and track what we’re interested in include frame differencing (detecting motion by looking at changes between frames), background subtraction (using a static background and removing it to isolate objects), and brightness thresholding (using contrast to separate what you want from what you don’t).
Computer vision’s capacity for tracking and surveillance has its pros and cons. On the positive side, tracking allows for more responsive, immersive, and personal interactive art. On the downside, issues like surveillance, privacy and consent arise. If art is tracking people, there’s always a risk of misuse and discomfort.