Everyone knows that one cannot see anything in darkness. But imagine you are in a place that is cloaked in darkness and you are the only one who can see everything, even in the pitch dark. Technological advancements of the 21st century have made this possible, through the invention of certain night vision equipment that has done away with the obstacles of human beings in places where there is no light. However, there are different types of night vision equipment - night vision goggles, ITT night vision, thermal night vision, night vision binoculars and monoculars, and night vision digital cameras (both still and video). The first thing that might strike one's mind is that night vision equipment might be a spy thing in an action film. With suitable night vision equipment, one can see a person standing over 200 feet away in complete darkness. Night vision equipment can work in two very different ways, depending on the technology that is implemented. One is image enhancement, and the other is thermal imaging. In image enhancement, light particles, called photons, are collected in small amounts. This amount of light includes the lower portion of the infrared light spectrum. The night vision equipment catches this light and then amplifies it to the point that we can easily observe the image. With thermal imaging technology, the night vision equipment operates by capturing the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum. This light is emitted in the form of heat energy by the objects, in place of light reflection. |
