How do night vision goggles work?

Today’s globalized and technological world gives us millions of opportunities that we cannot neglect. And, if you are not one of the wild people who burn 5G towers today and are not afraid to try new technologies on yourself, our conversation will certainly interest you. And you will surely show interest if you love hunting.

Today we will talk about how science has managed to overcome the unfair imperfection of our body. After all, it’s not a secret for anyone that man surpasses animals only in his brain. And our physical condition makes us feel only regret, even when superficially compared with the most aggressive animals.

This injustice, like other shortcomings, is corrected by civilization throughout its history. A prime example of this is how science has solved the problem of our weak and uncompetitive vision. Lacking the ability to see normally, even during daylight hours (compared to some domestic animals), we become absolutely helpless when night falls to the ground. To somehow equalize this situation, we had to take advantage of our only advantage over the wild world – our brain.

The result is a series of amazing inventions that have given us night vision, which we implement using high-tech and fragile equipment. Night vision goggles are a prime example of this.

What kind of night vision do animals use?

Have you ever wondered why tigers have such strange colors? It would seem that this predator should merge with the environment, leaving no chance for the victim. Its beautiful orange skin with black stripes does not correlate in any way with the ability to hide in the thickets and conduct a quiet and secretive hunt. But, this opinion is erroneous if we understand the mechanisms of animal vision.

The fact is that the main mechanism of night vision in the wild world is the accumulation of the maximum available light. This can be clearly seen in the eyes of ordinary domestic cats and their pupils. Surely, you have noticed that the pupils of cats are narrow, barely noticeable on a sunny day. This is because the incoming light is more than enough for a complete assessment of the situation.

But, when dusk or night falls, the pupils become really huge. The light passing through them increases its flow. Therefore, what seems to us to be a dark room is quite a comfortable location for cats, where they see all the details.

The peculiarity of the animal vision suggests informativeness but no frills. They see what is hidden in darkness but muted color mode or completely monochrome mode. This explains the success of tiger camouflage. Their victims see the night world as in a black and white TV, and the color of the predator’s fur does not matter to them. And its stripes allow you to blend perfectly with tall grass or branches.

How do night vision goggles work?

If you want to create something truly awesome, it’s best to learn from a master. And who in the world is a better demiurge than nature itself?

Therefore, the scientists faced an effortless task – copy the mechanisms of the night vision of animals. But, as you can imagine, we speak about this process with sarcasm. Technology and engineering capabilities made it possible to achieve the first results only closer to the middle of the twentieth century.

The mechanism of work of night vision goggles copies the natural capabilities of all the same domestic cats. Due to the progressive and technological components, the devices accumulate the available light. After that, the light is amplified many times, and the observer receives visualized information about the object of observation.

The principles of work have not changed since the day of the invention. The modernization and implementation of new solutions every day make devices lighter, more reliable, stronger, and more informative.

Why does everything look green through night vision goggles?

We wondered why night-vision goggles are green, even if you are not a hunter and did not serve in the army. This is because the legendary green glow of night vision devices has long been a popular culture thanks to video games and films.

The answer to this question is straightforward and will certainly disappoint fans of conspiracy theories. Green is organic to the human eye, and we can distinguish up to 400 shades of green. The second positive side of this choice is that with such a color scheme, the device consumes less energy, which means that its operation cycle increases. This is very important for long autonomous transitions and operations.

It will be fair to mention that devices with a black and white version of information display are also popular among professionals. For several reasons, they are more expensive, often belong to the 3rd and 4th generations, and are presented on the market in limited quantities. Fans of such devices claim that they provide the best contrast. Perhaps they are right, but it is more profitable for an ordinary hunter to purchase devices with a green glow.

What if there really is no light?

As you understood from the previous sections, night vision devices do not allow you to see in the dark, in this statement’s classical sense. They amplify the weak light, allowing you to see the details.

And you are right if you think that without light, even a weak one, like the glow of the moon, the device will become useless. Moreover, you will not be able to take full advantage of your purchase in bad weather conditions. Rain, fog, snow – minimizes the usefulness of night vision goggles.

If there is no light at the location, then there is nothing to strengthen the complex technique. And you have two ways: either refuse to use the device or create light. The second option is provided by engineers and usually consists of illuminating the area with an infrared emitter. But, it is worth remembering that such actions unmask you.

How does a thermal image sensor work?

Talking about night vision technologies, it would be unfair not to mention thermal imagers. These devices solve the same problems as night-vision goggles, but they work on completely different principles.

Thermal imagers do not amplify light. Moreover, they do not need light at all. They analyze and decode the heat signatures of objects. You can see the result in the form of objects, whose temperature is indicated by various color symbols.

They have their pros and cons. And their main advantage is that they do not need additional light, and weather conditions do not affect the operating mode in any way.

If you ask which is better? We will confidently answer – it is better to have both devices in your arsenal since they complement each other magnificently. With them, you will definitely not be left alone with the frightening darkness under any circumstances.