DARPA, the research and development division of the American Pentagon, is working to give a thorough overhaul to the bulky night vision devices used mainly in the military and surveillance fields.
The ultimate goal is to make night vision goggles that look like any other pair of glasses and eliminate the rather bulky helmet that is now necessary.
A press release DARPA highlights how current night vision equipment puts excessive strain on the neck and allows for a very limited field of vision. Even the best night binoculars used by the military are now obsolete.
With your eyes wide open
Replace the array of optical equipment in current night vision devices and “miniaturize” them to the size of a normal pair of glasses? In two words: night glasses? It will be quite complicated, but it is a goal within the reach of those who are chasing it.
Recent advances by DARPA scientists have made it possible to convert infrared light (the classic thermal vision that all Predator fans are familiar with) into the visible spectrum with a single eyeglass lens. The result? A much lighter and more comfortable device.
“Our warfighters experience significant neck strain from current night vision goggles. The weight of the optics extends 10-12 centimeters in front of their helmets,” he says in the press release Rohith Chandrasekar, program manager in DARPA's Office of Defense Sciences.
If you've never worn night vision goggles for hours at a time, imagine wearing a baseball cap all day with a 1lb weight attached to the front. This gives you an idea of the type of stress.
Rohith Chandrasekar, DARPA
Rationalization
According to Chandrasekar, eliminating all the optical equipment inside current night vision goggles will make the glasses much more efficient and more affordable. New technologies will convert infrared to visible light in a single step. The very concept of night vision goggles will change completely.
The help of software and artificial intelligence is already producing mind-blowing prototypes. It will certainly lighten the weight of night vision goggles by reducing physical optics and the steps to transform images.
