Color Infrared Night Vision Photography
All infrared scopes and cameras photographing objects in darkness produce monochromatic images. AIST has developed a technology for producing colors close to those of an object viewed under visible light from an image captured under infrared light. This new technology is particularly useful for security, automotive monitoring, and animal observation in darkness.
There is a correlation between the reflection characteristics of an object in the visible light region and in the infrared light region to some extent. AIST has developed a technology called "color infrared night vision photography," wherein a color image of an object in darkness is captured by irradiating only infrared light, the image being colored based on the correlation.
In collaboration with a company, AIST has developed an image sensor for color infrared night vision cameras, which enables the downsizing of the cameras. A compact photography recording device for color night vision, that is easy to be carried or installed, can be built using just one such image sensor even when combined with an infrared irradiator and a recorder. AIST is enhancing the performance of this image sensor and also developing a high-performance infrared irradiator, resulting in the commercialization of more compact and efficient color night vision cameras.