Stealth camera takes pictures virtually in the dark

Night vision/IR may be a thing of the past soon.

Thought some might be interested in some new tech being developed for detecting single photons then imaging them.

The achievement is likely to support studies of fragile biological materials, such as the human eye, that could be damaged or destroyed by higher levels of illumination. The development could also have applications for military surveillance, such as in a spy camera that records a scene with a minimum of illumination to elude detection.
To create detailed images using single photons, electrical engineer Ahmed Kirmani of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and his colleagues developed an algorithm that takes into account correlations between neighbouring parts of an illuminated object as well as the physics of low-light measurements. The researchers describe their work online today in Science1.

However, the algorithm developed by Kirmani and his colleagues provides that information using one-hundredth the number of photons required by existing light detection and ranging (LIDAR) techniques

www.nature.com...

New surveillance applications, too...oh boy.

I love when we humans advance science and technology.

A lot of the time though, I end up hating what it is used for.

butcherguy
I love when we humans advance science and technology.

A lot of the time though, I end up hating what it is used for.

I dun remember where i read but it sayd that most of our technological advances are for militaristic purpose and maybe decades later (if even then) some of it can be alter to fit puplic purposes/better the mankind and not just for destroy mankind/nature.. Not only today but in history aswell.

If you're into this science of pic/video enhancement, try reading up on the
fogal transistor at cheniere.org. It involves the josephson tunneling with electrolytic capacitors in parallel with a resistor going to the emitter of a transistor. Quite a fascinating read.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


Great data. Would this work on telescopes as well? Space and ground based?

reply to post by Aleister


They say space based "for instance". In my mind the military app is for extreme low light situations, like a windowless room or cave for instance.

Thats one hella expensive algorithm for a set of night goggles.

Some tunnel rats in Afghanistan might find it useful.

reply to post by intrptr


Some high school genius will come up with a way to make this into a space-based or earth-based telescope add-on, something which could be used on Deep Fields. And when I mention Deep Fields I always add on my main complaint, that NASA doesn't use Hubble to make more of them, at least devote a week a month to making Deep Fields. There've been what, three so far? More, more, and now with this new single-photon detecting tech, deeper, deeper (fields).

reply to post by Aleister

And when I mention Deep Fields I always add on my main complaint, that NASA doesn't use Hubble to make more of them, at least devote a week a month to making Deep Fields. There've been what, three so far? More, more, and now with this new single-photon detecting tech, deeper, deeper (fields).

Roger that.