RGB and HSV are two commonly used color models. Their core differences lie in their definitional dimensions and application scenarios:
The RGB model, based on the principle of superposition of the three primary colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B), defines color using a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system. Each channel has a value range of 0-255, generating approximately 16.78 million colors through combinations of varying intensities. This model directly corresponds to the physical light-emitting mechanism of electronic devices (such as monitors and cameras) and is a standard format for digital image processing. However, RGB values are not intuitive to human perception. For example, (255, 0, 0) and (200, 0, 0) are both red, but the difference in brightness requires numerical calculation, making it difficult to directly perceive the proportional relationship with the naked eye.
The HSV model, based on human visual perception, describes color using three elements: hue, saturation, and value. Hue represents color type as an angle (0°-360°) (e.g., 0° is red, 120° is green); saturation reflects color purity (0%-100%); and lightness controls brightness (0%-100%). This model more closely matches the human eye's subjective perception of color. For example, adjusting lightness can quickly brighten or darken a color, while modifying saturation can control color vividness. It is widely used in image editing (such as Photoshop color grading) and computer vision (such as object detection).
Conversion Relationship: The two can be converted to each other using mathematical formulas, but they are essentially different ways of expressing the same color. RGB is suitable for hardware implementation and storage and transmission, while HSV facilitates manual intervention and visual analysis, forming a complementary relationship.