by kneel on 12/7/16, 6:08 PM
These night vision glasses don't exist and the use of the phrase 'allow direct vision' is misleading seeing as they're using high powered lasers to see the blue shift. This lab has only made a nanocrystal that might enable this technology one day.
The fact that everyone in the linked video is wearing funny looking green glasses is misleading, those are just safety glasses.
These types of news blips are depressingly common in developmental science. I can guarantee they're just looking to secure more funding.
by cthulhuology on 12/7/16, 5:24 PM
Reading the article it hints at the reality that it doesn't actually work like passive glasses as it implies. the blueshift effect happens because they're using a laser to excite the crystal and it later emits the shifted light, but you have to pump a lot of energy in for that output. Simple conservation of energy implies this won't work for normal night vision applications, instead they want to shine a laser spotlight and use the reflected infrared laser light for vision. cool material science for sure, but not a replacement for nightvision goggles which don't broadcast your position with a bight spotlight.
by zokier on 12/7/16, 6:17 PM
I'd point out that night-vision and IR vision can (and even maybe should) be considered distinct, even though admittedly they are widely mixed up in common parlance. But especially in military night vision devices are usually based on the principle of image intensification, i.e. amplifying the light in visible spectrum, instead of IR imaging.
by jaclaz on 12/7/16, 6:29 PM
Maybe in 5 years time and IF DARPA will allow it:
>They hope within five years they will have a prototype of their invention that will allow the production of affordable, lightweight night-vision glasses, as simple to wear as a pair of sunnies.
>Professor Neshev said they are discussing their next steps with DARPA, a research and development arm of the US Department of Defence.
by gentleteblor on 12/7/16, 5:24 PM
I hope this "trickles down" to medical applications fairly soon. I have awful night vision, and a pair of normal looking night vision glasses would be just the thing.
by dosshell on 12/7/16, 8:31 PM
Did they take the biggest night googles available for the "traditional" picture?
Those I have used from the military where much much smaller (but they did not have autofocus).
I agree with some of the comments here: that it is misleading that they are not passive and that no prototype exist.
Even if it is a good idea I would never invest in a company which is not always totally honest, even in headings and pictures.
by proaralyst on 12/7/16, 4:42 PM
I wonder what other applications this could support. Better colour displays, where a monochromatic LED is converted to one of R, G and B?
by deutronium on 12/7/16, 5:14 PM
This sounds very cool, I'm curious what wavelengths of IR they can convert.
by dharma1 on 12/7/16, 5:58 PM
This is awesome. Had the same idea when i was about 15, great to see someone making it. I wonder if it will work just for IR or also other parts of the non-visible spectrum