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    CHAPTER 1

    IN TRODUCT IO N TO NIG HT V ISI O N

    1.1 IN TRODUCT IO N

    Night vision broadly refers to the ability to see in the dark or at night [15]. Night

    vision technology developed that enables us to see in the dark. Night vision ability

    could be present biologically or could be developed technologically. It uses the

    combination of two approaches: Spectral range and Intensity range in sufficient

    amounts. Animals have sharp night vision ability as compared to humans [18].

    This is because of the presence of a layer of tissue in the eye called tapedum

    lucidum (a Latin word meaning bright tapestry).It could be present just behind

    the retina or sometimes within the retina. It contributes to superior night vision by

    improving vision in low-light conditions as it reflects visible light back through

    retina, thus, increasing the light available to photoreceptors. Tapedum lucidum

    could be present in nocturnal animals especially carnivores that hunt at night.

    Humans do not have this tissue. Night vision technology was originally developed

    for military use; it has provided the United States with a strategic military

    advantage in terms of the lives of people. Now, it is used for site security,

    surveillance and search and rescue. The devices used in this technology have

    grown through improvements in light amplifications technology. With proper

    night vision equipments, one can see a person standing over 200 yards (183m)

    away on a moonless, cloudy night.

    1.2 APPROACHE S TO NIG HT V ISI O N

    There are two types of approaches used in night vision technology. They are as

    follows-

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    1.2.1 SUFF IC IE NT SPECTRAL RA NG E:

    The range up to which human eyes can see is limited only to a small portion of the

    entire electromagnetic spectrum, called visible light. Spectral range techniques

    allows human eye to be sensitive to those light that is otherwise invisible to

    humans. It allows the viewer to take advantage of non-visible light sources of

    electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared or ultraviolet radiations. Some of the

    animals can see well in light other then visible light range like IR or UV radiations.

    1.2.2 SUFF IC IE NT IN TE NSI TY RA NG E:

    We know animals have better night vision than humans. This ability maybe

    attributed to the fact that they may have larger eyeball, larger lens, larger optical

    aperture, more rods than cones in retina [14], a tapedum lucidum, etc. Sufficient

    intensity range is the capability to view with very small amount of light. Superior

    intensity range can be achieved by means using technological concepts of image

    intensification, thermal imaging or gain multiplication, CCD.

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    CHAPTER 2

    NIG HT V ISI O N DEV ICE S

    2.1 IN TRODUCT IO N

    Night vision equipments are ocular installments that produce images in near or

    complete darkness. They maybe mounted aptly for particular purposes. Some

    devices may also have more than one mounting options. These devices may

    include image intensifier tube [17], different types of mounting systems, protective

    and water-resilient housing, telescopic lenses, IR illuminators, etc. Example-the

    AN/PVS-14[4] is a monocular night vision device used by military and by

    civilians. They maybe mounted on the users head or helmet attachment, either as a

    monocular device or maybe attached to the pair of binoculars, i.e., night vision

    goggles, to enhance the degree of depth in visualizing.

    Night vision devices were first used in World War II and were widely used during

    the Vietnam War [3].The technology has gained wide recognition since the time it

    has been developed. In the process of its growth, it has passed through severalgenerations, each presenting high and better performance and declining price.

    Some Ex amples-

    y Night vision goggles which have two eyepieces.y Scopes (i.e. monocular).y Night vision cameras, etc.

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    2.2 WORK ING OF NIG HT V ISI O N DEV ICE S:

    Night vision devices can work in different ways depending upon the methods used.

    The common applications include night driving or flying, night security and

    surveillance, wildlife observation, search and rescue, etc. Some of the common

    methods are described below in Fig 2a:-

    HOW NIG HT V ISI O N WORK S

    LOW -L IG HT IM AGING THER M AL IM AGING NEAR IN FRARED ILLU MIN AT IO N

    1. Image Intensification 1.C ooled-detector infrared 1. IR illumination

    C ameras

    2. U ncooled-detector infrared

    C ameras

    F ig 2a- C ategories of different night vision techniques used [3]

    Basics of light - It is important to understand the basics of light in order to

    understand the logic behind night vision. VIBGYOR constitute the visible light of

    the electromagnetic spectrum as shown in Fig 2b. It stands for-

    V-Violet infrared visible light ultravioletI-Indigo

    B-BlueG-GreenY-Yellow ROYGBIVO-Orange R-Red

    F ig 2b -E lectromagnetic spectrum [4]

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    The amount of energy in light and wavelength are inversely related to each other.

    Red color has longest wavelength, so, its energy is least. On the other hand, violet

    color has highest energy and shortest wavelength. The neighbors of visible light

    region are infrared and ultraviolet radiations. Infrared radiations are divided into three types-

    y Near-infraredy M id-infraredy Thermal-infrared

    Thermal infrared radiations are emitted by the objects whereas the two are

    reflected from objects.

    A tomic level :

    Atoms are the smallest unit of matter. They are in continuous state of motion and

    posses different energy levels. When external energy is supplied to them, they

    move up to higher energy levels after getting excited.

    Atoms contain sub-particles called-electrons, protons, and neutrons. Combination

    of protons and neutrons are called nucleus. When energy is applied to atoms, its

    electrons get energized and move up to higher levels from ground state. After

    sometimes, they wish to come back to their original ground state, when they do so,

    they emit photons with specific wavelength. These photons are in Thermal-

    Infrared spectrum. The hotter the object, the shorter the wavelength of the infrared

    photon it releases. If the object gets very hot, it may even eject out the photons in

    visible spectrum; firstly glowing red, and then eventually white. [16]

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    2.3THER M AL IM AGING :

    This technology makes use of the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum,

    which is emitted as heat by objects. It does not make use of ambient light at all.

    The principle of operation is that all objects emit infrared energy as a function of

    their temperature; i.e., hotter the object, the more radiations it emits [5].

    W orking :

    y The infrared light emitted by the objects is captured by a special lens.y The focused light is then scanned by a phased array of infrared-detector

    elements. It is used to obtain temperature details to create a Thermo gram.y The Thermo gram is then translated in electrical impulses.y The impulses are sent to signal processing unit, that converts information to

    data for display.

    y The signal processing unit sends the information to the display where the

    image is created.

    y

    The working is illustrated in Fig 2c and 2d

    F ig 2c- Basic components of a T hermal-imaging system [5]

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    F ig 2.d .a- E asy to see everything during day F ig 2.d .b -...b ut at night, you can see very little ...

    F ig 2.d .c - T hermal imaging lets you see again

    F ig 2.d- T hermal imaging [5]

    There are two types of thermal imaging detectors -

    1. C ooled detectors- They require cryogenic cooling to very cold temperatures

    (below 200k).They can see a minute difference of 0.2F (0.1C) from more

    than 1,000 ft (300 m) away, that is enough to see a person holding a gun. They

    require semiconductor materials like mercury cadmium telluride (HgCd), etc,

    in their designing. Cooled detector is shown in Fig 2e.

    F ig 2e- C ooled Detector [5]

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    T ab le 2.1 -Advantages and disad vantages of cooled detectors

    Ad vantages D isad vantages y The highest possible thermal

    sensitivity.

    y Expensive to purchase and operate.

    y Able to detect objects at great

    distances.

    y Limited cooler operating lifetime.

    y Not affected by bright light sources. y May require several minutes to cool

    down upon initiation.

    y Able to perform high speed infrared

    imaging.

    y Bulky.

    y Able to perform multi-spectral

    infrared imaging.

    y They are able to penetrate obscurants

    like smoke, fog, and haze.

    EXA M PLE S- Short-wave infrared cameras

    M id-wave infrared cameras

    Long-wave infrared camerasM ulti-spectral infrared cameras

    2. U ncooled detector- Unlike cooled detectors, they are capable to operate at

    or near room temperature. This is the most common type of thermal imaging

    device. When infrared radiations from objects are focused onto this detector, it

    causes the electrical properties of the detector material to change. These

    changed values are compared to the original values, thus, creating an image.

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    T ab le 2.2 -Advantages and disad vantages of uncooled detector

    Advantages D isad vantages

    y Relatively inexpensive y Less sensitive and has low picture

    quality than cooled detectors.y High contrast in most night time

    scenes .

    y Cannot be used for multi-spectral and

    high speed infrared applications .

    y Easily detect objects.

    y Not affected by bright light sources.

    y Highly reliable.

    EXA M PLE S- Uncooled thermal imaging camera (fixed mount) [2].

    Uncooled thermal imaging camera (portable).

    2.4 LOW -L IG HT IM AGING :

    It is the most popularly used method for performing night vision operation. It

    makes use of a special tube, called Image Intensifiers [17]. M ore recently, on-

    chip gain multiplication CCD cameras have become popularized for

    performing low-light security, surveillance and astronomical observation.

    IM AG E IN TE NSI F IER TUBE - It is used to collect and amplify infrared and

    visible light for better vision [6].

    W orking :

    y A conventional lens, called the objective lens captures the ambient light

    and some near-infrared light.

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    y The gathered light is sent to the image-intensifier tube; which is powered

    by cells or batteries which generates a high voltage of about 5,000 volts.

    y The image intensifier tube has a photocathode, which is used to convert

    photons of light energy into electrons due to high electric field of

    cathode.

    y These electrons enter holes in micro channel plate. This plate has

    millions of these microscopic holes. It is contained in a vacuum and has

    metal electrodes on either side. These electrons on hitting the electrodes

    cause the emission of thousands of other electrons.

    y

    This creates a dense cloud of electrons representing an intensified imageof original image.

    y Finally, these electrons hit the phosphor screen. The energy of electrons

    makes them to reach excited levels and make the phosphor screen to

    glow. Generally, green light is used to view the image on the

    photographic cameras or video devices. This color is used because

    human eyes can differentiate more shades of green than any other color,

    thus, providing better view.

    y The working is illustrated in Fig 2f.

    F ig 2f-Image E nhancement [6]

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    T ab le 2.3 - Advantages and disad vantages of image intensifier

    Advantages D isad vantages

    y Excellent low-level light sensitivity. y Since, they are based on amplification,

    thus, they require some light. So, this

    cannot be used when there is no light.

    y Enhanced visible imaging yielding the

    best possible recognition and

    identification performance.

    y Inferior day-time performance when

    compared to daylight-only methods.

    y High resolution y Possibility of damage when viewing

    bright sources under low-light

    conditions.y Low-power and cost.

    y Ability to identify people.

    EXA M PLE S- Night vision goggles

    Night vision pocket scopes

    Intensified canon cameras

    Intensified professional news cameras

    2.5 NEAR IN FRARED ILLU MIN AT ION :

    It is a popular and inexpensive method for performing night vision. In this method,

    a device that is sensitive to invisible infrared radiations is used in combination with

    an infrared illuminator [19] [20].

    This method was popularized by Sony Night Shot Camcorder. This is because

    camcorders CCD detector [2] was IR sensitive and infrared light source was

    installed in the camcorder, so, infrared illumination was available to enhance

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    otherwise low-light video scenes and produce reasonable image quality in low-

    light situations.

    This method can be in a variety of night vision application where by using video

    motion detection and intelligent scenes analysis devices, a reliable low-light video

    security system can be developed.

    1. IR Illuminator- Several devices are used-y L aser type- These devices are based on infrared laser diode

    that emits near infrared energy. They are most efficient

    infrared illuminators.

    y L ed type illuminator- These illuminators utilize an array of

    infrared emitting LEDs.

    T ab le 2.4 - Advantages and disad vantages of near infrared illumination

    Advantages D isad vantages

    y Lowest cost as compared to other

    night vision techniques.

    y Users of infrared illuminators can be

    detected by others that have near-infrared viewing devices.

    y Eliminates the variability of ambient

    light.

    y Eliminates shadows and reveal

    identifying lettering, numbers and

    objects.

    y Able to perform facial identification.

    y Able to perform high-speed video

    capture.

    y Capable of seeing through night time

    fog, mist, rain and snowfall.

    Ex amples- Wide area infrared laser illuminator [7]

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    CHAPTER 3

    G E NERAT IO NS

    NVDs have been around for more than 40 years. They are categorized by

    generations. Each considerable change in NVD technology establishes a new

    generation. [8]

    3.1 G E NERAT IO N 0:

    The first night vision devices were introduced by the German army as early as

    1939. They were based on image conversion, rather than image intensification.

    They required a source of invisible infrared light mounted on the device to

    illuminate the target area.

    These devices were used in World War II and the Korean War. It used a projection unit, called IR illuminator to project a beam of infrared

    light.

    This beam gets reflected back from the object back to the lens of NVD.

    It used both cathode and anode combined to accelerate electrons.

    Draw b acks :

    Acceleration of electrons distorted the image. Life of tube was decreased. It gets easily duplicated by other enemy nations.

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    3.2 G E NERAT IO N 1:

    First generation devices were introduced during Vietnam War.

    They relied on ambient light of the moon and stars, instead of infrared lightsource, to enhance the amount of reflected infrared in atmosphere.

    Generation 1 NVDs use the same image intensifier tube technology as

    generation 0.

    The NVDs have three image intensifier tubes in series. In the figure, the incoming light is collimated by fiber optic plate, then, they

    impact the cathode which releases electrons which in turn strike the

    phosphor screen where the green light is emitted.

    The process is repeated three times and a total amplification of around

    1000x is obtained [9]. The working is shown in Fig 3a.

    F ig 3a - W orking of Gen 1 de v ices [9]

    Draw b acks :

    The image was clear at center but distorted at the edges. They do not work well on cloudy or moonless nights. Tube life was short. They were large in size and bulky.

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    Ex amples - AN/PVS-2 Starlight scope.

    Yukon Spartan NV monocular.

    3.3 G E NERAT IO N 2:

    In this generation, the features of image-intensifier tube were greatly improved.

    This is due to the use of micro channel plate. [10]

    It offered great resolution and high performance over generation 1 devices. They are more reliable. They improved size and image quality.

    Figure shows the basic configuration. M CP consists of millions of microscopic hollow glass channels. When

    electrons pass through these channels, then, under the influence of applied

    voltage, several more electrons are released which strike the phosphor

    screen.

    The biggest gain of this generation is the ability to see in extremely low light

    condition like moonless night. It gives less distortion and much brighter images. Light amplification of around 20,000 xs is possible. The M CP enables the development of handheld and helmet mounted

    goggles. The working is shown in Fig 3b.

    F ig 3b - W orking of Gen 2 de vices [10]

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    Ex amples- AN/PVS-4

    AN/PVS-5

    3.4 G E NERAT IO N 3:

    There were two substantial advancements seen in this generation devices.

    It maintained the use of M CP but improvised it by making use of

    photocathode made with gallium arsenide. It is very efficient in converting

    photons to electrons. The gallium arsenide photocathode enabled detection of objects at greater

    distances under much darker conditions.

    It helped improving image resolution and sensitivity. The second was the use of ion-barrier film on the M CP. It increased the

    operational life of the tube from around 2000 hours in generation 2 to 10,000

    in generation 3.

    In this generation, the light amplification was also increased to around

    30,000-50,000x.

    Ex amples - AN/PVS-7

    AN/NVS-7

    AN/PVS-10

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    3.5 G E NERAT IO N 4:

    Generation 4 is commonly known as Filmless and Gated Technology. This

    generation NVDs have shown remarkable improvements in both low and high

    level light atmosphere.

    This generation devices presented substantial increase in target detection

    range and resolution, especially in extreme low-light levels.

    It marked the removal of the coating of ion-barrier in M CP. Hence, called

    Filmless. Removing of this ion film allowed more electrons to reach the

    amplification; hence, they were less distorted and brighter.

    Another change, rather addition, was the use of automatic gated power

    supply. This allowed NVD to respond to the fluctuating lightening

    condition. This is because the photocathode voltage rapidly switched on and

    off. Its utility could be understood with the help of the example- if a person

    is using night vision goggles and somebody else turns on a bright light at

    him. Then, he might become blind temporarily or sightless. But, here the

    advantage of generation 4 devices is that it will rapidly and quickly gets

    adjusted to this bright light and would not loose sight and still can see

    objects. So, it automatically changes high light to low-light and vice-versa.

    They use gallium arsenide photocathode. They are expensive to purchase. It provides at least triple high level resolution.

    Draw b ack :

    Decrease in the operational life of the tube.

    Fig 3c shows the comparison among various generations.

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    Generation 1 Generation 2

    Generation 3 Generation 4

    F ig 3c- C omparison of different generations [11]

    3.6 KEY DEVELPO M E NT OF G E NERAT IO NS :

    If we are using night vision devices to find a lost person, to locate boats or buoys

    on the water, or to stargaze into the wilderness, we should prefer generation 3, as it

    creates good quality images when there is very little ambient light. Generation 2

    may be chosen in cases with higher level of ambient light [16].

    y Generation 1( in 1960 s) :

    Vacuum tube technology. Full moon operation. Amplification up to 1,000. Operating life of 2,000 hours.

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    y Generation 2( in 1970 s) : Quarter moon operation. Amplification of micro channel plate. Amplification up to 20,000 Operating life of 2,500 hours. Improved resolution.

    y Generation 3( in 1990 s) : Improved M CP and photocathode.

    Use of gallium arsenide and ion-barrier. Star light operation. Amplification up to 40,000. Operating life of 10,000 hours. Enhancement in resolution and brightness.

    y Generation 4(1990 s) :

    Filmless and auto-gated power supply. No ion-barrier in M CP. Quickly responds to different lightening

    conditions.

    Images are less distorted and are brighter.

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    CHAPTER 4

    C haracteristics of Night V ision

    Below are some of the aspects of night vision that one should be aware of when

    using an image intensified night vision system.

    T extures, L ight and Dark :

    Objects that appear light during the day but have a dull surface may appear

    darker, through the night vision unit, than objects that are dark during the

    day but have a highly reflective surface. For example, a shiny dark colored

    jacket may appear brighter than a light colored jacket with a dull surface.

    F og and R ain :

    Night vision is very responsive to reflective ambient light; therefore, the

    light reflecting off of fog or heavy rain causes much more light to go toward

    the night vision unit and may degrade its performance.

    H oneycom b : Some faint hexagonal patterns may be observed on the image. It is the result

    of the manufacturing process of the device.

    B lack Spots :

    A few black spots throughout the image area are also inherent characteristics

    of all night vision technology. These spots will remain constant and should

    not increase in size or number. See Fig 4a below showing an image with

    black spots.

    F ig 4a- Black spots [16]

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    CHAPTER 5

    OTHER TECH NOLO GI E S

    5.1 ATN

    WPTrepresents

    a

    new

    standard

    of

    night

    vision

    [11]:

    ATN has provided its customers with a new line of technology called WPT-

    white phosphor technology as shown in Fig 5a.

    Generally, in NVDs, the images appear green in color. But, studies reveal

    that with the use of this technology, the images appear more natural in

    black and white.

    This technology has reported a better performance, more degree of

    details, full moon similarity, distinguished shades of intensity between

    white and black, better contrast.

    M ost of its performance characteristics are equivalent or better then the

    GaAs based image intensifier tubes.

    People prefer this over the common green night vision.

    It is available in systems like- ATN PVS 14/6015 Tactical M onocular FIITS-14 where WPT is optically fused with

    Thermal Imaging

    ATN M arsx6

    Specifications :

    Photocathode type : multi-alkali Image output : black-and-white image Tube life : 10000 hours Signal-to-noise ratio : 18-26

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    STA NDARD NIG HT V ISI O N VIEW VIEW THROU G H WPT DEV ICE

    F ig 5a- WPT de vices giving white view [11]

    5.2 PA NOR MI C NIG HT V ISI O N G O GG LE S (P NVGS) :

    The United States air force is experimenting with PNVGS in order to double

    the field of view of the users to around 95 degrees by using four 16mm

    Image Intensifier tubes; rather than 18mm tubes (two).

    They are in use with A-10 Thunderbolt 11, AC-130U Spooky Aircrew , etc.

    5.3 E NHA NCED NIG HT V ISI O N G O GG LE S (E NVG) :

    It is also known as AN/PS Q -20.it was manufactured by ITT. It strives to combinethermal imaging with image intensification, as does the Northrop Grumman Fused

    M ultispectral Weapon Sight.

    5.4 LA SER RA NG E G ATED IM AGING :

    It is another form used for night vision. It utilizes high powered pulsed light source

    for illumination and imaging.

    Range gating is a technique that controls laser pulses in collaboration with

    the shutter speed of the cameras detector.

    It is of two types-single shot and multi shot.

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    CHAPTER 6

    EQU IP M E NT S AND APPL ICAT IO NS

    6.1 EQU IPM E NT S:

    Night vision equipments can be split into broad categories-

    Goggles- They come in two categories:- M onocular, that has a single lens or

    stereo lens or they could be Binoculars having two lens or two eyepieces. It

    depends upon the model or designer. They can be mounted on the head or

    they also come as handheld. They are comfortable, portable and can be

    efficiently used in case of constant viewing.

    Example- AN/AVS-6 Vision Goggles [12]

    Dual Sensor Night Vision Goggles (in Fig 6a)

    F ig 6a- Dual Sensor Night V ision Goggles [12] F ig 6b -DARK IN VADER NVG [12]

    Scopes- They come into two ways, i.e., mounted or handheld. They could be

    mounted on a weapon. They are monocular in nature. They are best utilized

    when one has to focus on a particular object for sometimes and then, resume

    back to normal conditions.

    Example- AN/PVS-12 Starlight scopes

    DARK INVADER M ulti-purpose Pocket scopes (in Fig 6c)

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    F ig 6c- DARK IN VADER Multi-purpose Pocket scope [11]

    C ameras- With the use of cameras, we are able to get a display as it sends

    images to monitor or to a VCR for recording. They are typically used when

    and where night vision capabilities are desired in areas, like a building or

    part of the equipment in a helicopter. They can also be used as a medium

    where monocular or scopes can be attached on it. M any of the newly

    developed camcorders have in-built night vision; like, Sony Night Shot

    Camcorders, etc.

    Example- Intensified Canon Cameras

    Intensified Nikon Cameras

    Intensified Removable Lens Camcorders

    Low-Light CCD Cameras

    F ig 6d- Stealth 301 Series Day/Night Video C amera [11]

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    6.2 APPL ICAT IO NS :

    F ig 6e- Soldier using DARK IN VADER NVG [11]

    It has a variety of application. Some of the common applications are briefly

    described below-

    M ilitary Law enforcement Wildlife observation Hunting Camping Search and rescue operations Security Surveillance Navigation Hidden object detection An aid for night blindness

    The first use of NVDs for which they were developed was for the usein military to locate targeted enemies during night time or in the dark

    areas.

    L aw enforcement has widely made use of this technology. It can be

    used to discover items that have been hidden by criminals like money,

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    bodies, etc. Also, with the help of Thermal Imaging technique,

    changes made to areas like walls can be detected. Thus, it is quite

    helpful in providing beneficial clues for solving cases.

    NVDs can be useful in case of protection to the wildlife and keeping awatch on intruders. The concerned authorities can make use of this for

    wildlife observation.

    Also, people who are fond of hunting and camping at night can make

    use of this technology.

    Various organizations and also people at home, employee night vision

    cameras, get them fitted for security purpose, to monitor the

    surroundings.

    Police use NVDs for sur veillance purposes. Through the use of

    Thermal Imaging, it is possible to detect whether an area has been

    disturbed, like, we can detect whether ground has been dugged up to

    bury something or not. Thus, this is very beneficial to the police and

    other detectives or private investigators [1].

    Night vision goggles [8] have been especially praised by the pilots of

    search and rescue teams of helicopters. They retain their ability to fly

    safely under night conditions and can detect people suffering from one or

    the other natural calamities like flood, earthquake, etc (in Fig 6e).

    People who are suffering from the problem of night b lindness , i.e.

    they are unable to see during night can surely be benefitted from the

    use of NVDs. They can be useful in na vigation . By using NVDs, it becomes

    convenient for the ships to pass through and find their way. It can

    direct or assist the course of a ship or an aircraft and also protect them

    from any possible mishappening.

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    CHAPTER 7

    FUTURE SCOPE

    Working, analysis and improvements are being carried out to create better night

    vision devices. Planning is carried out and future night vision goggles are being

    designed not only to see clearly but also to allow soldiers in the army to share

    images of what they see with other soldiers who maybe far away. Though, the idea

    is accepted as feasible, but, the developers are facing some difficulties in

    implementing it. But, it is assumed that it will form an integral feature of the next-

    generation goggles. [13]

    Generation-4 night vision devices as we know are also called as Filmless

    because they have removed the ion-barrier film on the MCP. This film provided

    greater operational life of the tube, but, with its removal, again Gen-4 NVDs have

    low operational life tubes. This is its drawback. Work is also been carried out to

    implement some technique by which the tube life can be increased.

    M oreover, it is also being focused to provide the different varieties of NVDs atreasonable prices, as they are quite expensive.

    Also, the concept of combining or merging the two techniques of Image

    Intensification and Thermal Imaging could be of great use in future. Through this

    idea, newer and positive features or strengths of both the techniques can be

    combined like:-from Image Intensification, a sharp, clear, green-colored picture

    can be obtained and from Infrared, we are capable to see under any type of environmental condition. This concept has been implemented in a device called

    Enhanced Night Vision Goggles or ENVG but, it is in analog form. Efforts are

    being made to transition it into a digitized version. It is assumed that by 2014, the

    digital ENVG will be ready for sale .

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    CHAPTER 8

    CO NCLU SI O N

    The report started with the basic knowledge of what is night vision? What is night

    vision technology? M oving further light has been thrown on the principle working

    of night vision devices with their examples. There are different generations of

    night vision devices. Generation 0, marks the use of image conversion techniques.

    It used infrared radiations to illuminate the targeted object. Generation 1, used

    Image Intensification Techniques to see the objects in dark. It relied on ambient

    light sources. It had low-level light sensitivity. Generation 2, marked the use of

    micro channel plate ( M CP) which greatly enhanced the picture quality. M CP not

    only accelerated the electrons but also multiplied them in number. Generation 3,

    showed two great advancements. First, was the use of GaAs photocathode and

    second was the ion-barrier film on M CP. It helped increasing the operational life of

    the tube. Generation 4, also called the Filmless and Gated, removed the ion-

    barrier film on M CP. This generation presented substantial improvements in target

    detection range and resolution. It was suitable in fluctuating light conditions. After that, we discussed about the characteristics and other related technologies in the

    field of night vision technology. M oving further, we saw the various equipments

    that are used for night vision like-cameras, binoculars, monocular, goggles, scopes.

    Lastly, we went through some of its interesting applications like-its use in military,

    law enforcement, wildlife observation, navigation, etc. We ended with some

    knowledge of the future scope of night vision devices.

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