An Overview of Night Vision Devices

Since the movies have depicted night vision in thrillers like Silence of the Lambs, humans have been interested in how it works. Usually a human must have night goggles to see in the dark because their eyes do not have the capability on their own to be able to see in the dark.

Night vision has been depicted in action and spy movies so we all have at least an idea of what they do. Night vision goggles can help the average individual see 200 miles in front of them on a clear, moonless night. Depending on the type of equipment they use, you can be able to see even farther.

Although the movies sometimes show one way that night vision goggles work, there are basically two ways:

Image enhancement -- in this type of night vision goggle, the image is enhanced by picking up the infrared light spectrum and tiny bits of light. This allows the human eye to amplify an object until the eye can easily see the object.

Thermal imaging -- this is the type that most people know about because in the movie it shows images based on their movement. Thermal imaging picks up the higher levels of infrared light spectrum and the light is affected by heat. As an example, when something that is breathing is seen in night goggles, the person with the goggles will see colors according to heat patterns. The goggles actually take in this light rather than reflect it.

History of Night Vision Goggles
Night vision goggles are mostly associated with the military and for good reason. The first time they were actually used was during WWII but it came into most prominent use, during the Vietnam War. As time progressed the military began to rely heavily on the different types of night devices that become available for dealing with situations where visibility was not the best.

As technology has increased it has created a way to use night vision goggles for the military, commercial use and telecommunications.

Types of Night Vision Devices
Besides goggles there are several different types of night vision devices. Some of them include:

Night vision binoculars -- these are often used by the military and the police force to be able to see what is going on in the environment. Other people who use these are the DEA and the FBI. Hunters who hunt at night and natural biologists who want to watch animals without being detected also use night vision binoculars.

Night vision monoculars -- the monocular is just one scope instead of two. The disadvantage of this one is that you can only use one eye at a time which means you can get eye strain. It works similarly to binoculars and both civilians and the military use them.

Night vision rifle scopes -- these are a tube configuration and help the hunter see at night. The technology used will help you be able to see without being detected.

Night Vision Generations And How They Perform
Each night vision device has a generation attached to it that refers to when the device was made and how well it performs. Generations started at 0 and have gone to a 4. Each one tells how much an individual is able to see. As an example, a GEN 0 will have low resolution and the user will not be able to see very much. A GEN 3 can detect objects that are human sized of at least 200 yards.

Beyond the generation units there are three other types of technology that have come into play within the night vision field. Digital viewers have been a part of the market and they are working at either a GEN 1 or a GEN 2. They work on the same principal as digital cameras. Often the digital devices are less expensive than a true GEN 1 or GEN 2.

Where You Might See Night Vision Devices
In our everyday world there have been many situations that have been changed because of theft and other problems with our society. Many movie theaters are now giving night vision binoculars or monoculars to their employees to spot illegal taping of movies. Also, many movie studios like 20th Century Fox have given these to their employees and they have trained them to spot illegal taping.

Police departments are using them more often to keep track of criminals at night. The technology is also being used in industrial processing and in surveillance cameras.

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