Explore the World in a Whole New Way with Visual Searches - Huawei Developers

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It's probably happened to you before: You're scrolling through Instagram, and see a friend's post about their recent vacation. You notice they're wearing a beanie, but can't figure out the brand. This is where visual searches can step in.
What is a visual search?
Visual searches are backed by a power-efficient hardware architecture, a suite of advanced AI technologies, and some very complicated algorithms. For instance, artificial neural networks, such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep learning algorithm, are commonly used in the process of image recognition and processing. These technologies help visual search engines understand and identify objects in photos and even videos, in order to generate related search results.
A visual search engine mimics the human brain's ability to recognize objects in images, using data collected from cameras and sensors. Whether you're trying to identify a plant in your yard, or a cute little puppy on the street, you can easily do so, just by taking a picture – without having to type words to describe what you're looking for in a search box.
A couple of things a visual search can do:
- Perform a search faster than a typed search
- Allow you to easily compare prices between different stores
- Support searching for multiple results simultaneously
Performing visual searches in Petal Search
Huawei has introduced visual search technology into Petal Search, to provide a better searching and shopping experience. All you have to do is snap a photo, and the app will identify the object and find information on it. You can search for a wide range of content across different categories, such as animals, food, clothes, and furniture.
To search by image, simply open Petal Search, and tap the camera icon in the main search bar. You can take a photo with your camera or choose one from your gallery. When you search for a product – let's say a houseplant – Petal Search picks out details of the plant from the photo you upload to the engine, and then processes the image data. It can consequently discover information such as how much it costs, where to buy it, and can even return images of other plants that are visually similar.
Better yet, Petal Search is capable of searching for and detecting multiple targets in an image at a time. For instance, when you take a photo of a sofa with a blanket and cushion on it in a furniture showroom, Petal Search can identify all three items at the same time and deliver comprehensive search results in a single list. This saves you the hassle of having to take tons of photos and search them one by one. Visual search technology has made shopping so much easier.
So, next time when you're trying to identify a plant in your yard, a bag you've seen your coworker carry, or solve a math problem, simply take a photo, and Petal Search will find it in a matter of seconds!