Python Machine learning --Capturing and processing video from a webcam

We will use a webcam to capture video data. Let’s see how to capture the video

from the webcam using OpenCV-Python.

How to do it…

1. Create a new Python file, and import the following packages:

import cv2

2. OpenCV provides a video capture object that we can use to capture images from the webcam. The 0 input argument specifies the ID of the webcam. If you connect a USB

camera, then it will have a different ID:

# Initialize video capture object

cap = cv2.VideoCapture(0)

3. Define the scaling factor for the frames captured using the webcam:

# Define the image size scaling factor

scaling_factor = 0.5

4. Start an infinite loop and keep capturing frames until you press the Esc key.

Read the frame from the webcam:

# Loop until you hit the Esc key

while True:

# Capture the current frame

ret, frame = cap.read()

5. Resizing the frame is optional but still a useful thing to have in your code:

# Resize the frame

frame = cv2.resize(frame, None, fx=scaling_factor, fy=scaling_

factor,

interpolation=cv2.INTER_AREA)

6. Display the frame:

# Display the image

cv2.imshow(‘Webcam’, frame)

7. Wait for 1 ms before capturing the next frame:

# Detect if the Esc key has been pressed

c = cv2.waitKey(1)

if c == 27:

break

8. Release the video capture object:

# Release the video capture object

cap.release()

9. Close all active windows before exiting the code:

# Close all active windows

cv2.destroyAllWindows()

10. If you run this code, you will see the video from the webcam.