Ever thought there may be some awesome photos hidden in all of the those videos you’ve shot on your mobile phone over the past few years? Well, that's exactly what a new startup is betting on with the Vhoto app for iOS.
The app uses proprietary computer vision technology to intelligently scan videos you’ve taken to find the best images. It combines computer vision for its results, which automatically determines what looks good, with machine learning, which can anticipate what users will like.
You can either shoot directly from the app or can import existing video from your camera roll. There’s also a social component so users can tag, share, and search others’ photos.
“Everyone has had trouble hitting the button at the right moment to get the perfect shot. And everyone is forced to choose between photo and video every time we want to capture an amazing moment”, says Vhoto CEO Noah Heller, former Microsoft Xbox and Activision vet.
The idea behind the app is to have a better way to get photos — just shoot video and let technology do the rest to find the best photographic moments. The app evaluates over 20 different metrics including blur, contrast, faces, smiles, novelty, and user intent, to quickly extract the best moments from a video.
The Seattle-based company, which employs 13 people, has managed to attract $2.4 million in investment from Atlas Venture and Polaris Venture Partners. The app is free to download, and it doesn't offer ads or in-app purchases. It’s optimized for the iPhone 5 and runs on iOS 7.
