This document provides an overview of night vision technology. It discusses the history of night vision beginning in Germany in the 1930s. It describes how night vision works using either thermal imaging or image enhancement to detect infrared light. The document outlines the different generations of night vision devices and their improvements. It lists common night vision equipment like scopes, goggles, and cameras. Applications of night vision technology include military, hunting, surveillance, and automobiles. The future of night vision may allow sharing images between devices over long distances.

1. saral K S
S7,EEE
Roll No 37
NIGHT VISION
TECHNOLOGY
SEMINAR
ON
Night Vision Technology
Presented By
B. Shobha Rani
III Sem, MCA

2. • Introduction
• History
• Definition
• How does it works
• Thermal imaging
• Image enhancement
• Generations
• Equipments
• Use of the night vision
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Applications
• Future Scope
• Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
• The word ‘Night vision’ itself means the ability
to see in low light conditions.
• Humans have poor night vision compared to
many other animals.
• Is it really possible to see in the dark night?
• We can see a person standing over 183m away
in the dark night.

4. HISTORY
• The first practical night vision devices were
developed in Germany in the mid-1930s and were
used by both German tanks and infantry during
World War II.
• Due to the nature of these early night vision
devices (NVD), they gave away tactical positions.
• Military scientists began to think of ways to
improve night vision to gain a strategic advantage.

5. • Night vision is technology that provides users with
some vision in total darkness and improved vision in
low-light environments.
• A night vision device (NVD) is an optical instrument
that allows images to be produced in levels of light
approaching total darkness.
• They are most often used by the military and law
enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian
users.

6. • In order to understand night vision, it is important
to understand something about light
• The amount of energy in a light wave is related to
its wavelength: Shorter wavelengths have higher
energy
• Of visible light, violet has the most energy, and red
has the least. Just next to the visible light spectrum
is the infrared spectrum

7. Infrared light can be split into three categories
• Near-infrared (near-IR) - Closest to visible light, near-IR
has wavelengths that range from 0.7 to 1.3 microns, or 700
billionths to 1,300 billionths of a meter
• Mid-infrared (mid-IR) - Mid-IR has wavelengths ranging
from 1.3 to 3 microns. Both near-IR and mid-IR are used
by a variety of electronic devices, including remote
controls
• Thermal-infrared (thermal-IR) - Occupying the largest
part of the infrared spectrum, thermal-IR has wavelengths
ranging from 3 microns to over 30 microns

8. • Two technologies are used for night vision:
(1)Thermal Imaging
(2)Image Enhancement
HOW DOES IT WORK?

9. THERMAL IMAGING
• A special lens focuses the infrared light emitted
by all of the objects in view.
• The focused light is scanned by a phased array of
infrared-detector elements.
• The detector elements create a very detailed
temperature pattern called a thermogram.
• It only takes about one-third of a second for the
detector array to obtain the temperature information
to make the thermogram.

11. • This information is obtained from several
thousand points in the field of view of the detector
array.
• The thermogram created by the detector elements
is translated into electric impulses.
• The impulses are sent to a signal-processing unit,
a circuit board with a dedicated chip that translates
the information from the elements into data for the
display.

12. In day light In dark night
Using thermal imaging

13. IMAGE ENHANCEMENT

14. Cont …
• An image-intensifier tube is used to collect and
amplify infrared and visible light.
• A conventional lens, called the objective lens,
captures ambient light and some near-infrared light.
• The image-intensifier tube has a photocathode,
which is used to convert the photons of light energy
into electrons.
• A Microscopic plate(MCP) is a tiny glass disk
that has millions of microscopic holes in it.

15. Cont …
• When the electrons from the photo cathode hit the
first electrode of the MCP, they are accelerated into
the glass micro-channels by the 5,000-V bursts being
sent between the electrode pair.
• At the end of the image-intensifier tube, the
electrons hit a screen coated with phosphors.
• The energy of the electrons causes the phosphors to
reach an excited state and release photons.

16. Cont …
• These photons create the image on the screen.
• The green phosphor image is viewed through
another lens, called the ocular lens, which allows
you to magnify and focus the image.
• The NVD may be connected to a monitor to
display the image.

17. GENERATION- 0
• Created by US Army.
• Uses active infrared.
• A projection unit called IR illuminator is attached
with NVD.
• Use anode in conjunction with cathode to accelerate
the electrons.
• Problems : acceleration causes distortion of image
and reduction of the life of the tube.

18. GENERATION- 1
• Uses passive infrared.
• Uses ambient light provided by the moon and the
stars.
• Vacuum Tube Technology
• Full Moon Operation
• Amplification: 1,000
• Operating Life: 2,000 Hours

19. GENERATION- 2
• Offer improved resolution and performance over
Generation-1 devices.
• Considerably more reliable.
• First Micro channel Plate (MCP) Application
• One-Quarter Moon Operation
• Amplification: 20,000
• Operating Life: 2,500 Hours

20. GENERATION- 3
• Currently used by the US Army.
• Better resolution and sensitivity.
• Improved MCP & Photocathode
• Starlight Operation
• Amplification: 40,000
• Operating Life: 10,000 Hour
• Tube life is increased.

21. GENERATION- 4
• Known as filmless and gated technology.
• Shows significant improvement in both high- and
low-level light environments.
• No ion barrier in MCP.
• Reduced background noise.
• Enhances signal to noise ratio.
• Images are less distorted and brighter.

22. SCOPES
• Normally handheld or mounted
on a weapon, scopes are
monocular (one eye-piece).
• Can not be worn like goggles.
• It is good for when you want
to get a better look at a specific
object and then return to normal
viewing conditions.

23. • While goggles can be handheld,
they are most often worn on the
head.
• Goggles are binocular (two
eye-pieces) and may have a
single lens or stereo lens,
depending on the model.
• Goggles are excellent for
constant viewing, such as moving
around in a dark building.
GOGGLES

24. CAMERAS
• Cameras with night-
vision technology can
send the image to a
monitor for display or to
a VCR for recording.
• When night-vision
capability is desired in a
permanent location, such
as on a building.

25. • This thermal image is recorded with a far Infrared
camera (FIR) via a special imaging sensor.
• When the car exceeds 25 mph, the system scans
specifically for pedestrians by scanning the road up to
100 yards ahead of the vehicle. A pedestrian appears
with the yellow tint.

26. ADVANTAGES
• High sensitivity in low-light.
• High speed imaging capability.
• Able to detect people and vehicles
at great distances.
• Eliminates shadows and reveal identifying
lettering numbers and objects.

27. DISADVANTAGES
• You can get blind if u look at something bright.
• Blooming(state of anti-reflectiveness)- night
vision images gets partially distorted or completely
distorted.
• Optical distortion during manufacturing.

28. APPLICATIONS
• Military
• Hunting
• Wildlife observation
• Surveillance
• Security
• Navigation
• Hidden-object detection
• Entertainment BMW's Night Vision with
Pedestrian Detection system
allows drivers to see what (or
who) is down the road -- even
on the darkest nights.
•Automobile

29. FUTURE SCOPE
• Future night vision goggles are being designed not just to
see at night but also to allow soldiers to share images of
what they see with other soldiers who may be miles away.
• Scientists are experimenting with Panoramic Night
Vision Goggles (PNVGs) which double the user's field of
view to around 95 degrees by using four 16 mm image
intensifiers tubes, rather than the more standard two 18 mm
tubes. And lets hope that more and more advancements will
be made in the field of night vision technologies.

30. • Through night vision device we can see the
object in dark environment. Finally, we came to
know the benefits to having this technology in
the vehicle which can be used to avoid the
accidents.
CONCLUSION

31. ANY QUERIES?