39. Filters and Finding Edges

Filters

Now, we’ve seen how to use color to help isolate a desired portion of an image and even help classify an image!

In addition to taking advantage of color information, we also have knowledge about patterns of grayscale intensity in an image. Intensity is a measure of light and dark similar to brightness, and we can use this knowledge to detect other areas or objects of interest.
For example, you can often identify the edges of an object by looking at an abrupt change in intensity, which happens when an image changes from a very dark to light area, or vice versa.

To detect these changes, you’ll be using and creating specific image filters that look at groups of pixels and detect big changes in intensity in an image. These filters produce an output that shows these edges.

So, let’s take a closer look at these filters and see when they’re useful in processing images and identifying traits of interest.