Infrared Detectors Enhance Night-Vision Cameras

Like some snakes use infrared to “see” at night, similar “viper” vision could improve the sensitivity of night-vision cameras. Researchers have developed detectors that enable more information to be extracted from the object in the dark. When looking at a person at night through night-vision goggles, the person’s infrared signature is visible. The person may have a hidden weapon that emits a different wavelength of infrared light but it cannot be seen even with a presently available, cryogenically cooled camera.