ultralytics/docs/en/guides/object-blurring.md

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true	Learn how to use Ultralytics YOLO11 for real-time object blurring to enhance privacy and focus in your images and videos.	YOLO11, object blurring, real-time processing, privacy protection, image manipulation, video editing, Ultralytics

Object Blurring using Ultralytics YOLO11 🚀

What is Object Blurring?

Object blurring with Ultralytics YOLO11 involves applying a blurring effect to specific detected objects in an image or video. This can be achieved using the YOLO11 model capabilities to identify and manipulate objects within a given scene.

Watch: Object Blurring using Ultralytics YOLO11

Advantages of Object Blurring

• Privacy Protection: Object blurring is an effective tool for safeguarding privacy by concealing sensitive or personally identifiable information in images or videos.
• Selective Focus: YOLO11 allows for selective blurring, enabling users to target specific objects, ensuring a balance between privacy and retaining relevant visual information.
• Real-time Processing: YOLO11's efficiency enables object blurring in real-time, making it suitable for applications requiring on-the-fly privacy enhancements in dynamic environments.
• Regulatory Compliance: Helps organizations comply with data protection regulations like GDPR by anonymizing identifiable information in visual content.
• Content Moderation: Useful for blurring inappropriate or sensitive content in media platforms while preserving the overall context.

!!! example "Object Blurring using Ultralytics YOLO"

=== "CLI"

    ```bash
    # Blur the objects
    yolo solutions blur show=True

    # Pass a source video
    yolo solutions blur source="path/to/video.mp4"

    # Blur the specific classes
    yolo solutions blur classes="[0, 5]"
    ```

=== "Python"

    ```python
    import cv2

    from ultralytics import solutions

    cap = cv2.VideoCapture("path/to/video.mp4")
    assert cap.isOpened(), "Error reading video file"

    # Video writer
    w, h, fps = (int(cap.get(x)) for x in (cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH, cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT, cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS))
    video_writer = cv2.VideoWriter("object_blurring_output.avi", cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"mp4v"), fps, (w, h))

    # Initialize object blurrer object
    blurrer = solutions.ObjectBlurrer(
        show=True,  # display the output
        model="yolo11n.pt",  # model for object blurring i.e. yolo11m.pt
        # line_width=2,  # width of bounding box.
        # classes=[0, 2],  # count specific classes i.e, person and car with COCO pretrained model.
        # blur_ratio=0.5,  # adjust percentage of blur intensity, the value in range 0.1 - 1.0
    )

    # Process video
    while cap.isOpened():
        success, im0 = cap.read()

        if not success:
            print("Video frame is empty or processing is complete.")
            break

        results = blurrer(im0)

        # print(results")  # access the output

        video_writer.write(results.plot_im)  # write the processed frame.

    cap.release()
    video_writer.release()
    cv2.destroyAllWindows()  # destroy all opened windows
    ```

ObjectBlurrer Arguments

Here's a table with the ObjectBlurrer arguments:

{% from "macros/solutions-args.md" import param_table %} {{ param_table(["model", "line_width", "blur_ratio"]) }}

The ObjectBlurrer solution also supports a range of track arguments:

{% from "macros/track-args.md" import param_table %} {{ param_table(["tracker", "conf", "iou", "classes", "verbose", "device"]) }}

Moreover, the following visualization arguments can be used:

{% from "macros/visualization-args.md" import param_table %} {{ param_table(["show", "line_width", "show_conf", "show_labels"]) }}

Real-World Applications

Privacy Protection in Surveillance

Security cameras and surveillance systems can use YOLO11 to automatically blur faces, license plates, or other identifying information while still capturing important activity. This helps maintain security while respecting privacy rights in public spaces.

Healthcare Data Anonymization

In medical imaging, patient information often appears in scans or photos. YOLO11 can detect and blur this information to comply with regulations like HIPAA when sharing medical data for research or educational purposes.

Document Redaction

When sharing documents that contain sensitive information, YOLO11 can automatically detect and blur specific elements like signatures, account numbers, or personal details, streamlining the redaction process while maintaining document integrity.

Media and Content Creation

Content creators can use YOLO11 to blur brand logos, copyrighted material, or inappropriate content in videos and images, helping avoid legal issues while preserving the overall content quality.

FAQ

What is object blurring with Ultralytics YOLO11?

Object blurring with Ultralytics YOLO11 involves automatically detecting and applying a blurring effect to specific objects in images or videos. This technique enhances privacy by concealing sensitive information while retaining relevant visual data. YOLO11's real-time processing capabilities make it suitable for applications requiring immediate privacy protection and selective focus adjustments.

How can I implement real-time object blurring using YOLO11?

To implement real-time object blurring with YOLO11, follow the provided Python example. This involves using YOLO11 for object detection and OpenCV for applying the blur effect. Here's a simplified version:

import cv2

from ultralytics import solutions

cap = cv2.VideoCapture("path/to/video.mp4")
assert cap.isOpened(), "Error reading video file"
w, h, fps = (int(cap.get(x)) for x in (cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH, cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT, cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS))

# Video writer
video_writer = cv2.VideoWriter("object_blurring_output.avi", cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"mp4v"), fps, (w, h))

# Init ObjectBlurrer
blurrer = solutions.ObjectBlurrer(
    show=True,  # display the output
    model="yolo11n.pt",  # model="yolo11n-obb.pt" for object blurring using YOLO11 OBB model.
    blur_ratio=0.5,  # set blur percentage i.e 0.7 for 70% blurred detected objects
    # line_width=2,  # width of bounding box.
    # classes=[0, 2],  # count specific classes i.e, person and car with COCO pretrained model.
)

# Process video
while cap.isOpened():
    success, im0 = cap.read()
    if not success:
        print("Video frame is empty or processing is complete.")
        break
    results = blurrer(im0)
    video_writer.write(results.plot_im)

cap.release()
video_writer.release()
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

What are the benefits of using Ultralytics YOLO11 for object blurring?

Ultralytics YOLO11 offers several advantages for object blurring:

• Privacy Protection: Effectively obscure sensitive or identifiable information.
• Selective Focus: Target specific objects for blurring, maintaining essential visual content.
• Real-time Processing: Execute object blurring efficiently in dynamic environments, suitable for instant privacy enhancements.
• Customizable Intensity: Adjust the blur ratio to balance privacy needs with visual context.
• Class-Specific Blurring: Selectively blur only certain types of objects while leaving others visible.

For more detailed applications, check the advantages of object blurring section.

Can I use Ultralytics YOLO11 to blur faces in a video for privacy reasons?

Yes, Ultralytics YOLO11 can be configured to detect and blur faces in videos to protect privacy. By training or using a pre-trained model to specifically recognize faces, the detection results can be processed with OpenCV to apply a blur effect. Refer to our guide on object detection with YOLO11 and modify the code to target face detection.

How does YOLO11 compare to other object detection models like Faster R-CNN for object blurring?

Ultralytics YOLO11 typically outperforms models like Faster R-CNN in terms of speed, making it more suitable for real-time applications. While both models offer accurate detection, YOLO11's architecture is optimized for rapid inference, which is critical for tasks like real-time object blurring. Learn more about the technical differences and performance metrics in our YOLO11 documentation.