Goodbye to night vision goggles? These contact lenses allow users to see infrared light
Night vision contact lenses have been developed, bringing us one step closer to the tech nerd dreamworld.
As much as I wholeheartedly disagree with Elon Musk’s decisions to buy Twitter, move to the far-right side of politics and get into bed - albeit temporarily - with Donald Trump, the idea of robots being called ‘Optimus’ stirs something in my brain that gives me a fizz.
The same goes for night-vision contact lenses. It’s an idea cool enough to make your (my) socks dissolve. Period.
And we’re already there. Researchers have created transparent contact lenses that can go beyond the human eye’s capacity to visualise the electromagnetic spectrum and include infrared light - the one we use for the military goggles - into the equation.
The research team at the University of Science and Technology of China have managed to develop what are called upconversion nanoparticles in the lenses: converting near-infrared light into visible reds, greens and blues.
The contact lenses need no power source, and according to The Guardian, “wearers can see infrared and all the normal visible colours of light at the same time”. Dr Yuqian Ma, a researcher on the project, told the newspaper that “over half of the solar radiation energy, existing as infrared light, remains imperceptible to humans.”
Lead author Gang Han, a nanoparticle researcher at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, told ABC that “when wearing them, you still see everything normally. The lenses simply add the ability to see infrared images on top of what we already normally see.”
While we may have bigger brains to create technology that gives us superpowers, we really do lag way behind much of the animal kingdom: bees, birds and reindeers can all see ultraviolet light, while mantis shrimp eyes have 12 to 16 visual pigments compared to our measly three. Bats and pit vipers can ‘see’ heat and fish can detect electrical signals in the water using an organ known as the lateral line.
Related stories
While we’ll never beat the animals in terms of mind-bending phyical characteristics - don’t get me started on cephalopods - night-vision contact lenses are still pretty cool.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment