OpenCV is an open-source software component library for computer vision application development. OpenCV is a powerful tool for prototyping embedded vision algorithms. Originally released in 2000, it has been downloaded over 3.5 million times. The OpenCV library supports over 2,500 functions and contains dozens of valuable vision application examples. The library supports C, C++, and Python and has been ported to Windows, Linux, Android, MAC OS X and iOS.

The most difficult part of using OpenCV is building the library and configuring the tools. The OpenCV development team has made great strides in simplifying the OpenCV build process, but it can still be time consuming. To make it as easy as possible to start using OpenCV, BDTI has created the Quick-Start OpenCV Kit, a VMware image that includes OpenCV and all required tools preinstalled, configured, and built. This makes it easy to quickly get OpenCV running and to start developing vision algorithms using OpenCV.