CG: n
CT: Computer vision is an interdisciplinary scientific field that focuses on how computers can acquire a high-level understanding from digital images or videos. It can be used to transform the tasks of engineering and management in construction by enabling the acquisition, processing, analysis of digital images, and the extraction of high-dimensional data from the real world to produce information to improve decision-making. Furthermore, computer vision can provide practitioners with rich digital images and videos (e.g., location and behavior of objects/entities, and site conditions) about a project’s prevailing environment and therefore enable them to better manage the construction process.
Computer vision has been used to examine specific issues in construction such as tracking people’s movement, progress monitoring, productivity analysis, health and safety monitoring and postural ergonomic assessment. In bringing together the developments and applications of computer vision research, we reviewed the normative literature to identify emerging trends to provide a roadmap for future lines of inquiry. We acknowledge that reviews of computer vision have been undertaken for specific problem domains such as defect detection and condition assessment and safety, but they are subjective and therefore are prone to bias
S: SDir (last access: 20 January 2026)
N: 1. – computer (n). 1640s, “one who calculates, a reckoner, one whose occupation is to make arithmetical calculations,” agent noun from compute (v.).
- Meaning “calculating machine” (of any type) is from 1897; in modern use, “programmable digital electronic device for performing mathematical or logical operations,” 1945 under this name (the thing itself was described by 1937 in a theoretical sense as Turing machine). ENIAC (1946) usually is considered the first.
- Computer literacy is recorded from 1970; an attempt to establish computerate (adjective, on model of literate) in this sense in the early 1980s didn’t catch on. Computerese “the jargon of programmers” is from 1960, as are computerize and computerization.
– vision (n). c. 1300, visioun, “that which is seen,” specifically “something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural” by one sleeping or waking; from Anglo-French visioun, Old French vision “presence, sight; view, look, appearance; dream, supernatural sight” (12c.), from Latin visionem (nominative visio) “act of seeing, sight, thing seen,” noun of action from past-participle stem of videre “to see” (from PIE root *weid- “to see”).
- Also “a narrative account of a vision” (mid-14c.). By early 15c. as “a visual perception” (of something). The meanings “sense of sight, faculty that perceives by the eye;” also “act of seeing external objects” are recorded by late 15c.
- In 20c. use, “distinct, vivid mental conception of a scheme or anticipation.” The meaning “statesman-like foresight, political sagacity” is attested from 1926.
2. Subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that equips machines with the ability to process, analize and interpret visual inputs such as images and videos.
3. Artificial Intelligence; Applications of Automation: computer vision, CV, artificial vision.
- The capability of an information processing unit or system to acquire, process and interpret visual information.
- computer vision; artificial vision: designations standardized by ISO in collaboration with the International Electrotechnical Commission.
- Computer vision, a branch of artificial intelligence, centers on training devices to recognize and perceive visual information. This field involves a variety of techniques to transform high-dimensional data from the tangible world into numerical or symbolic inputs that can be read by a computer, followed by [techniques to analyze] these data [in order] to derive interpretations and insights.
Compartment – ISO/IEC JTC 1 Information Technology Vocabulary: computer vision, artificial vision.
- capability of a functional unit to acquire, process, and interpret visual data
- Computer vision involves the use of visual sensors to create an electronic or digital image of a visual scene.
- Not to be confused with machine vision: The application of computer vision principles and techniques to machines, robots and various industrial processes). French equivalent: visionique.
- computer vision; artificial vision: terms and definition standardized by ISO/IEC [ISO/IEC 2382-28:1995].
– The term visión artificial is used with more frequency in Spanish as equivalent for “computer vision”. However, the terms visión por computadora, visión computacional, visión por ordenador and “computer vision” can be found in academic, scientific and technical texts.
The term vision par ordinateur is the preferred and most widely used term in French, particularly in academic, professional, and official contexts. Vision artificielle is also used, but less frequently and vision numérique is considered a rarer usage.
4. Two key technologies stand out in digital imaging and automation: machine vision and computer vision. Both use visual processing, but their applications and goals differ. Computer vision aims to replicate human vision in computers, allowing them to understand and interpret the visual world. In contrast, machine vision, a branch of computer vision, focuses more on practical uses, especially in industrial and manufacturing settings, where it guides machinery using visual data. Though they share core technologies, their specific applications and impacts across industries underscore their distinct roles.
What is the difference between Computer Vision and Machine learning?
The primary difference between the two is that computer vision focuses on the analysis and interpretation of visual data, while machine learning provides the tools and techniques for learning from data and making predictions or taking actions.
What is the difference between Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence?
Computer vision can be seen as a sub-category of AI that specifically deals with enabling machines to perceive and understand visual data, such as images and videos. Its primary goal is to replicate human visual processing and interpretation capabilities using algorithms and techniques.
Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, focuses on creating algorithms and models that enable machines to learn, reason, and make decisions autonomously. It encompasses various subfields, including machine learning, natural language processing, expert systems, and robotics. AI aims to develop intelligent systems that can perceive, understand, learn, and interact with the environment in a way that simulates or exceeds human intelligence.
5. Collocations with “computer vision”:
- Adjective: accurate, advanced, automated, embedded, industrial, real‑time, robust, supervised, unsupervised.
- Computer vision + verb: achieve, adapt, analize, apply, assist, be, calibrate, classify, construct, convert, create, detect, diagnose, differentiate, discover, evaluate, examine, extract, filter, fine‑tune, forecast, generate, guide, identify, integrate, interpret, localize, learn, map, measure, model, normalize, optimize, predict, process, protect, quantify, rank, recognize, refine, register, reproduce, simulate, test, track, train, transform, validate, verify, visualize.
- Prepositions: about, across, against, alongside, around, at, before, between, by, for, from, in, into, near, of, on, over, through, to, under, via, with, within, without.
6. Cultural Interrelation: We can mention the documentary Coded bias (2020) by Shalini Kantayya.
S: 1. Etymonline (last access: 20 January 2026). 2. IBM (20 January 2026). 3. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 24 January 2026). 4. Coursera (20 January 2026); HyperSc (last access: 20 January 2026). 5. IBM (last access: 20 January 2026); CED (last access 20 January 2026). 6. IMDb (last access: 20 January 2026).
SYN: artificial vision
S: TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 24 January 2026); GDT (last access 24 January 2026)
CR: algorithm, artificial intelligence, artificial life, automatic control engineering, computational intelligence, computer science, deep learning, intelligent system, machine learning, robotics.
