As science continues to bring new developments into our world, researchers in China have introduced the first contact lenses that can convert infrared wavelengths into visible light, allowing humans to have infrared vision even with their eyes closed.
Specifically, a team of scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei has developed a technology based on nanoparticles embedded in the lenses that let participants see infrared LED lights and invisible messages, per a study published on May 22.
How the contacts reveal infrared light
Indeed, these lenses use the nanoparticles made of rare-earth metals like ytterbium and erbium to convert near-infrared light in the 800-1,600 nanometer range (just outside the range normally visible to humans) into shorter wavelength – visible light that we can see, in the 400-700 nanometer range.
Upon testing, individuals wearing the lenses could see the invisible infrared light emitted by an LED well enough to both pick up Morse code signals and sense from which direction the signals were coming. Moreover, they perceived it even better with their eyes closed as visible light couldn’t interfere.
According to Xiaomin Li, a chemist at Fudan University in Shanghai who was not involved in the work, this technology “is incredibly cool, just like something out of a science-fiction movie” and opens up “new possibilities for understanding the world around us.”
The contacts are a bit blurry and don’t amplify light to detect low-level infrared signals like night-vision goggles do, so they only work for bright light sources, such as LEDs. Nonetheless, they work even with your eyes closed and offer multi-colored images as opposed to traditional goggles.
Skepticism and promise
That said, some are skeptical in regards to the usefulness of the lenses, especially considering the existence of infrared goggles, including Glen Jeffery, a neuroscientist at University College London who specializes in eye health, and who has said that:
“I cannot think of any application that would not be fundamentally simpler with infrared goggles. (…) Evolution has avoided this for a good reason.”
On the other hand, the lenses’ creators believe that it is possible to further optimize their invention for a wide range of uses, such as reading anti-counterfeit marks that emit infrared wavelengths, including the study co-author Yugian Ma, a neuroscientist at the USTC.
Additionally, Li has also opined that doctors performing near-infrared fluorescence surgery can use them to directly detect and remove cancerous lesions “without relying on bulky traditional equipment.”
Meanwhile, other researchers have created a glasses prototype powered by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, a tiny computer, cameras, and earphones to help people with visual impairment navigate their environment by capturing and interpreting live footage and transmitting it to the wearer in real-time.
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