A Revolutionary night-vision system developed for the Dutch military makes night-time video images look as clear and colourful as those shot in broad daylight. The idea was to improve on the fuzzy grey or green pictures that are the hallmark of today's night-vision systems. Although these monochrome images are an improvement on unaided night vision, their lack of colour can make them hard to interpret. Full-colour night vision would help emergency services and the military better assess their surroundings, says Alex Toet of the TNO research lab in Soesterberg, the Netherlands, who led the team that developed the system. He says it will make it easier to judge distances, enhancing "situational awareness". TNO's new system works by sampling the colours in daytime scenes of the same kind as are being viewed, and mapping them onto the night-vision images. The effect is dramatic (see Diagram), making obstacles and terrain much easier to cope with at night. The research was funded by the Dutch military, whose previous attempts to fake colour effects in night-vision systems were unsuccessful. The results were often "psychedelic" and distracting, according to Sylvester de Bruin of the Dutch ministry of defence. Full Story [New Scientist]
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