A descriptor in computer vision is a mathematical representation of a visual feature extracted from an image. Descriptors are used to encode the important information about an object or scene in a compact, numerical format that can be easily compared across different images. The purpose of descriptors is to make image matching or recognition more efficient. For example, when performing image matching, descriptors help compare key points or features in different images to find similarities. One popular type of descriptor is the SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform) descriptor, which captures information about key points in an image such as edges, corners, and textures. Another commonly used descriptor is the ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF), which is efficient and suitable for real-time applications. Descriptors allow algorithms to match objects in images regardless of variations in scale, rotation, or lighting conditions. They are fundamental in tasks like object recognition, image stitching, and 3D reconstruction. Overall, descriptors play a critical role in enabling machines to understand and process visual data by providing a structured representation of visual features that can be used for comparisons, recognition, and tracking.
What is descriptor in computer vision?

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