Hard is quite different to impossible, which is what achompas implied. The beauty of computing is that you are only limited by your imagination. Anyone can accomplish anything they want. You do not need a CS degree to get there – though for some, it might help.Look, I appreciate your attitude. You have a positive outlook on what you can accomplish, and that's undoubtedly a good thing.
But, to be frank, the skills required to access my example problems above are not trivial. Let's consider the autodidactic route for computer vision:
1. You need to be cozy with linear algebra, convex optimization, calculus, and algorithmic complexity if you even want to understand prior research. This, alone, is 1-2 semesters of course load for a full-time student.
2. Then, you need to survey prior research to gain awareness about what already exists. You'll hit Google Scholar, search for papers, and have to circumvent article paywalls.
3. After that, you'll need to code your own framework (non-trivial) or convince other researchers to share their source code (very non-trivial--almost impossible, given that they might monetize or license their work, or their university owns said license).
4. Then you need to collect data to test your CV algorithm, iterate on it, etc.
Universities overcome all of these barriers. Hence, it is unrealistic to suggest one can produce cutting-edge CV work by themselves (or without university help).