Google has announced a collaboration with visual learning firm Movidius that will aim to bring deep learning and visual recognition to the companys next wave of mobile software.

Google has already introduced image recognition capabilities in its Google Photo app and image hosting service, with users able to search through photos by typing in names of certain objects, or using an image of a face to identify photos with the same person in. However, these features require a strong internet connection and considerable time to work.

The partnership with Movidius will aim to develop built-in image recognition technology, enabling smartphones to identify objects in real-time in a variety of applications, from translating signs to identifying individuals as a way of authorising transactions.

Movidius has worked with Google in the past, as part of the companys indoor 3D mapping initiative Project Tango. The company specialises in low-power computer vision and machine learning, and will provide a considerable number of processors along with access to its software development environment to Google under the new deal.

“What Google has been able to achieve with neural networks is providing us with the building blocks for machine intelligence, laying the groundwork for the next decade of how technology will enhance the way people interact with the world,” said Blaise Ag?era y Arcas, head of Google’s machine intelligence group. “By working with Movidius, were able to expand this technology beyond the data centre and out into the real world, giving peopel the benefits of machine intelligence on their personal devices.”

“The technological advances Google has made in machine intelligence and neural networks are astounding,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, CEO of Movidius. “The challenge in embedding this technology into consumer devices boils down to the need for extreme power efficiency, and this is where a deep synthesis between the underlying hardware architecture and the neural compute comes in,

“Movidius mission is to bring visual intelligence to devices so that they can understand the world in a more natural way. This partnership with Google will allow us to accelerate that vision in a tangible way.”