Vision Programming Interface (VPI)
VPI is a computer vision and image processing software library from NVIDIA that implements algorithms on computing engines, including computing processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), programming vision accelerator (PVA), Video and Image Compositor (VIC), and Optical Flow Accelerator (OFA). VPI optimizes the algorithms on both NVIDIA Jetson™ modules and x86 devices with discrete GPUs and features an interface that lets developers access multiple computing engines to achieve high image throughput and easily interoperate with OpenCV.
VPI Computer Vision and Image Processing Use Cases for Software Developers
Use VPI to solve the wide range of challenges developers face when working with Jetson embedded devices.

Maximum Computing Performance
Software developers need to maximize computing performance when building and delivering computer vision systems, particularly as computer vision and image processing pipelines are becoming increasingly complex and time-consuming. If computer vision and image processing software developers aren’t hitting your target or desired frames per second (FPS) rate, they should consider VPI for highly optimized algorithms to increase performance, especially to replace non-performant OpenCV algorithms in the processing pipeline. Optimized VPI algorithms include background subtraction, perspective warp, temporal noise reduction, histogram equalization, and lens distortion.
Better Workload Distribution of Computer Vision and Image Processing Pipelines
Coding computer vision pipelines with multiple hardware backends is critical to take full advantage of the device’s compute capacity. VPI lets you experiment with different hardware accelerators for one or multiple processing stages and efficiently program multiple compute engines—including CPU and GPU—through one uniform interface. VPI also provides a zero-copy mechanism to share memory buffers between supported backends, enabling software developers to optimally and efficiently distribute workload across multiple compute engines.
Python Application Programming Interface (API)
VPI gives software developers the flexibility to develop computer vision and image processing pipelines. In addition to C++ support, it also offers Python bindings for the algorithms, which lets you use VPI directly in Python scripts.
VPI Performance Benchmarks
VPI’s computer vision and image processing algorithms are highly optimized. Its performance exceeds that of other well-known computer vision and image processing libraries, including OpenCV, to deliver speeds up to 46X and 33X faster than that of OpenCV on GPUs and CPUs respectively. Read more about VPI’s performance benchmarks.

VPI’s Computer Vision & Image Processing Algorithms
VPI’s library supports algorithms in image processing, disparity estimation, and feature detector and tracking:
- Gaussian Pyramid Generator
- Laplacian Pyramid Generator
- Separable and Direct Image Convolution
- Box Image Filter
- Gaussian Image Filter
- Bilateral Image Filter
- Image Rescaling
- Image Flip
- Image Views / Crop
- Image Remapping
- Image Histogram
- Image Histogram Equalization
- Erode and Dilate
- Minimum/Maximum Location
- Direct and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform
- Image Format Converter
- Perspective Warp
- Background Subtraction
- Lens Distortion Correction
- Temporal Noise Reduction
- Pyramidal LK Optical Flow
- Dense Optical Flow



- Stereo Disparity
- Kanade–Lucas–Tomasi(KLT) Bounding Box Tracker
- Harris Corners Detector
- ColorNames Features Detector
- Histogram of Oriented Gradients

VPI Computing Engine Support
VPI lets computer vision software developers use multiple compute engines simultaneously—including VIC, PVA, NVENC, and OFA—through one interface, so you don’t have to change or use multiple computer vision and image processing libraries. In fact, VPI requires little to no change to existing computer vision and image processing pipelines. The table below summarizes and compares VPI’s compute engine support to OpenCV.
Computer Vision & Image Processing Library | ||||||
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VPI | ||||||
OpenCV |
VPI 2.0 Updates
VPI 2.0 is a developer preview release and includes OFA backend support for Stereo Disparity Estimator for Jetson AGX Orin and support for wrapping of Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) buffers in python bindings to allow efficient use of VPI together with other libraries such as PyTorch.
The VPI 2.0 update is part of NVIDIA JetPack™ 5.0 Developer Preview for Jetson devices and is also available for x86 devices with discrete GPUs.
Additional VPI 2.0 highlights include:
- New Algorithm: Horizontal and Vertical Image Flip with CPU and GPU Backend Support
- Image Views / Crop with CPU and GPU Backend Support
- Python bindings support for KLT tracker
The VPI support matrix details algorithm-specific backend support.
VISIT THE JETPACK DOWNLOAD PAGE
VPI Resources
Webinars
Introduction to VPI
The Implementing Computer Vision and Image Processing Solutions with VPI webinar overviews the computer vision and image processing software library. This tutorial reviews VPI programming concepts and best practices, how to build a complete and efficient stereo disparity-estimation pipeline, and VPI interoperability with OpenCV input and OpenGL output using computing platform and CUDA.
(REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
New Algorithms and Python Bindings Overview
The Accelerate Computer Vision and Image Processing using VPI 1.1 webinar (Registration Required) discusses the new algorithms and Python support included in VPI-1.1 as part of JetPack 4.6.
(REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
VPI and PyTorch Interoperability Demo
The VPI and PyTorch Interoperability Demo (Registration Required) shows how to build a Python-based application to improve object detection using PyTorch without copying data.
(REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Blogs
Improved Interoperability between VPI and PyTorch
This blog demonstrates how VPI is interoperable with PyTorch and other Pytorch-based libraries. This post shares how to use a PyTorch-based object detection and tracking example on a noisy video.
Reducing Temporal Noise on Images with VPI
The Reducing Temporal Noise blog demonstrates how to build the VPI pipeline and run the Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR) sample application on Jetson devices, including how to submit and synchronize processing tasks in a video stream.
VPI References
Release Notes
Read details about the latest release highlights, new features, application programming interface (API) updates, known issues, and bug fixes.
NOTES
Documentation
Learn more about the technical background and installation information, including architecture.
Computer Vision Solutions
Learn more about computer vision technology, image processing solutions, computer vision machine learning, and deep learning models and the solutions NVIDIA provides.
Computer Vision Glossary
Learn more about the field of computer vision and applications of computer vision.