The history of night vision

Infrared night vision device is the use of photoelectric conversion technology of military night vision device. It is divided into active and passive two kinds: the former with infrared searchlight irradiation target, receive reflected infrared radiation to form an image; the latter does not emit infrared, relying on the target's own infrared radiation to form a “thermal image”, so it is also known as the “thermal imaging camera”.

Visible light at night is very weak, but infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, is abundant. Infrared night vision can help people observe, search, aim and drive vehicles at night. Although people discovered infrared light very early, but by the limitations of infrared components, infrared remote sensing technology development is very slow. It was not until Germany developed lead sulfide and several infrared transmissive materials in 1940 that the birth of infrared remote sensing instruments became possible. Since then Germany first developed an active infrared night vision and several other infrared detection instruments, in an encounter with the British tank column, equipped with a red appearance aiming device of the German Leopard tanks destroyed two British Firefly tanks, it is worth mentioning that this battle of the German army is using active infrared night vision devices, so there is also an owl infrared searchlight car in the distant infrared for the Leopard tanks in the battle Lighting.

Active infrared night vision device has a clear image, production is simple and so on, but its Achilles' heel is the infrared light of the infrared searchlight will be found by the enemy's infrared detection devices. 60's, the United States first developed a passive thermal imaging camera, which does not emit infrared light, is not easy to be detected by the enemy, and has the ability to observe through the fog, rain and so on.