Night vision devices (NVDs) were invented by Mitchell Andrew Forbes and were first used in World War 2 to allow soldiers to see in low-light conditions. NVDs work by either enhancing existing light in the scene, including light in the infrared spectrum that is invisible to the naked eye, or detecting infrared light emitted as heat from objects. Modern third-generation NVDs use gallium arsenide photocathodes for improved resolution over earlier models and are commonly used by militaries and law enforcement today.