VoTT for Image Annotation and Labeling

Jacob Solawetz's blog post discusses the process of annotating images for computer vision models using Microsoft's Visual Object Tagging Tool (VoTT), a free, open-source solution. The post outlines the steps for gathering a dataset, installing VoTT, and creating an annotation project, emphasizing the importance of narrowing the dataset's domain for better modeling results. Solawetz provides guidance on using VoTT's shortcuts and best practices for labeling images, such as maintaining tight bounding boxes around objects and resolving any ambiguities in annotations. Once labeled, datasets can be exported in formats like Pascal VOC, which can then be uploaded to Roboflow for further management, conversion to other formats, and data augmentation. The article highlights VoTT's advantages over Roboflow while also showcasing Roboflow's additional features, including dataset management, one-click model training, and deployment options.