The race for ever-increasing discriminative power in image classification has been heating up over the last period.
All this is made possible through the use of deep convolutional networks and deep learning schemes, namely, the construction of neuromorphic recognition schemes where raw information passes through multiple intermediate layers before giving the desired class recognition output. This is made possible by using immense computational power (super-computers) which is directed into training a system onto huge amounts of ground-truth data.
For those interested, you may have a look at the news talking about the technological breakthrough here:
and at the arxiv repository for corresponding scientific documentation on the respective systems: