The use of the latest technologies during various types of activities became relevant several centuries ago. Such a need is always caused by time and is necessary to be able to achieve the most effective results. The activation of the use of scientific achievements began back in the Middle Ages, when the planet Earth was explored, the interaction between man and nature was clarified, and many other discoveries that now seem completely understandable and obvious to the average person. The Middle Ages are associated with the invention of the telescope, compass, horseshoe, windmill, dam, glasses and many other useful devices. Most of them are used on a permanent basis even today. The main goal of each of these inventions is to make life easier for a person, to make available to him something that is not available under normal conditions.
The beginning of the 20th century was characterized by an increased demand for technologies that were used to implement strategically important tasks and those that were needed by the whole society. We are talking, first, about inventions that were designed and created for military needs. The 20th century is a time when the First and Second World Wars continued, the achievement of the desired results in which required significant human and technological resources, which would be competitive and give an effective result. During this period, various types of weapons, optical devices, and thermal imaging devices began to be created. That is, mainly those objects that had high technical and innovative value were involved. Such devices also include night vision goggles, which at first were used only in specific spheres of life – military and search-reconnaissance. However, subsequently, the materials used to make such devices became significantly cheaper, and they became more affordable for ordinary people to purchase. This contributed to the growth of their demand and, as a result, their further improvement. So, we will focus on night vision goggles, their scope of application, main properties, and mechanism of their work.
How Do Night Vision Goggles Work?
First, night vision glasses are made of special lenses that allow the eye to quickly adapt to changes in lighting. They make staying under night lighting more comfortable for a person and allow to see a wide range of what is happening in the environment.
How do night vision goggles work? First, it should be noted that there is a distinction between active observation of reality and passive observation. When using night vision glasses passively, a person simply uses the illumination that these glasses produce to feel comfortable in the dark and not get lost. Passive use is rare, as night vision goggles are designed to be versatile and highly effective in night light and are usually used for more responsible tasks than simple viewing. The active use of such a device is associated with high technology, which is the basis of its functioning. It is about infrared radiation that passes through the lenses and allows you to distinguish objects or phenomena that take place in a specific environment. In this case, the working principle of night vision goggles is very similar to that offered by thermal imaging cameras. Thus, using night vision glasses, a person can see those objects that are invisible or inaccessible for visual perception under normal conditions. This can be explained by the fact that the device seems to scan the area and allows you to detect areas on it that have a higher temperature compared to the rest of the environment. Thanks to this, it is possible to detect a person, animal or other object that has a higher temperature. They will be displayed in the image using red color if the temperature is much higher than the environment and other colors such as blue or blue if the temperature of the object is not high.
Phosphorous materials are also used in the production of night vision goggles, as in most modern optical devices. Their use in practice is quite effective, especially at night, as it creates an opportunity to see a bright reflection of reality with high quality. This is extremely important for the military and hunters, because in these types of activities it is the safety of the person that is important, and therefore the latter must be aware of what is happening around.
What two types of technology are used for night vision goggles?
As mentioned earlier, there is active use and passive use of night vision goggles. Related to this differentiation are two types of technologies used when observing the terrain with the help of night vision goggles.
The first technology is improving the visibility of the picture. The mechanism of implementation of this function is quite simple. A certain part of the area is illuminated to improve its perception by the user in the dark. Night vision goggles collect all available ambient light, even the smallest, and transform it into a picture that the user sees through the lenses. That is, the main purpose of this technology is to improve the visibility of the situation in the area.
The second technology, which was already mentioned earlier, is thermal visualization of the situation. Its very name makes it clear what types of mechanisms are used in its implementation. This technology is especially useful for representatives of those professions for whom monitoring the movement of objects is a priority. Warm objects, such as a person, emit a significant amount of heat, which allows thermal imaging devices to record their presence and display them on the surface, in our case as a picture with different colors. In addition, thanks to the use of this technology, you can get a clearer image quality and a picture with less distortion. The use of this technology in night vision goggles is especially relevant when carrying out military, law enforcement, search and intelligence and security activities. In all cases of its use, it is possible to see those objects that cannot be observed with the naked eye.
So, night vision goggles serve as useful devices not only for priority industries, such as the military, but are also used to implement tasks in other areas. The two technologies used in the creation of these glasses are effective but have slightly different purposes and uses. That is why, before choosing a specific device, you need to understand the purpose of its use, familiarize yourself with the features of available technologies and use the devices according to their purpose. Technological devices with high productivity together with the skill and skill of the user create an opportunity to achieve success in any sphere of life.