Dear Community,
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?
OpenCV has been the standard for publicly available, free-for-commercial use, open-source computer vision for over 20 years. We have seen the rise and fall of closed-source innovations locked up in patent silos by robber barons, inaccessible to all but the very privileged.
There are few independent organizations like OpenCV fighting to keep the greatest and most consequential technical innovations open to the public, free to all with the desire to learn. This task has become more difficult over the last several years as non-profit funding becomes scarce and those same large silos close themselves off.
The answer to the question “Where is OpenCV 5?” is another question: Will the future be open? Or will our algorithms be lost in time, like tears in rain?
The true answer lies with you.
On October 24th, OpenCV.org is launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for OpenCV 5 development directly from the community. During this campaign, we’ll reach out to the entire community- individual developers, companies small and large, and creators. Together, we can do amazing things. Here is how you can help
- Contribute to the campaign: Visit our campaign page and contribute to the campaign to fund OpenCV 5 development. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, makes a difference.
- Follow OpenCV and share our posts about the campaign on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Mastodon.
- 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 100+ who have already signed up to volunteer! The more the merrier!
- Talk About OpenCV: Talk with your boss, your manager, and co-workers about supporting OpenCV if your workplace benefits from our free library. Be clear that this is a very important time to show financial support.
- Make a personal post on your social media accounts about why you feel it’s important to support OpenCV. Include a link to the campaign page at http://igg.me/at/opencv5. Don’t forget the hashtags #FreeOpenCV, #ILoveOpenCV, or even just #OpenCV.
In the next few weeks we will start revealing the details of our plans for OpenCV 5. Stay tuned to learn more.