The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by the increasing demand for immersive visual experiences in fields like virtual reality, tourism, and architecture, advancements in camera technologies, popularity of drone photography, and advancements in computer vision and image processing, coupled with the increasing availability of high-resolution images. Thereby, growing importance of technologies such as feature detection and matching algorithms, image registration techniques, and blending algorithms to seamlessly merge images. In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Technology Innovation: Image Mosaicing. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 2.5 million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, emerging innovation stage, microphone beamforming, live betting games, and quantum dots are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Circuit design testing, communication, smart contracts, and surround sound systems are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are vehicle platooning and PCI power management, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the technology industry
Image mosaicing is a key innovation area in technology
Image mosaicing refers to the procedure of merging multiple images captured from different angles or perspectives to generate a single, large composite image. This technique enables the creation of a comprehensive view of a scene or object by seamlessly stitching together individual images. The resultant composite image is commonly referred to as a photomosaic.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 70+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of image mosaicing.
Key players in image mosaicing – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to image mosaicing
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Alphabet is a leading patent filer in the field of image mosaicing. One of the company’s patents focuses on systems and methods for capturing omnistereo content using a mobile device. These methods involve receiving a request to capture multiple images of a scene, capturing the images using the mobile device's camera, and displaying a representation of the images on the device's screen during the capture process. The system also provides a composite image that includes a target capture path and an indicator for aligning the source capture path with the target. If a mismatch is detected, the system updates the indicator on the screen, prompting the user to adjust the device's alignment.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Meta Platforms and Canon.
By geographic reach, Nuctech leads the pack, followed by Egis Technology and Meta Platforms. In terms of application diversity, AirWorks Solutions holds the top position, followed by BAE Systems and Dental Smartmirror.
Image mosaicing technique is widely used in panoramic photography, virtual reality, surveillance, and satellite imaging. It allows for a more detailed and immersive visualisation, providing viewers with a broader perspective of the captured scene. Image mosaicing also finds applications in fields such as archaeology, architecture, and tourism, where it helps in preserving and documenting large-scale environments or capturing detailed architectural structures.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Technology.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
