Scientists from the University of Irvine have developed a camera system that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with an infrared camera to capture full-color photos even in complete darkness. Human vision perceives light on what is known as the "visible spectrum," wavelengths of light between about 300 and 700 nanometers. Infrared light exists beyond 700 nanometers and is invisible to humans without the help of special technology, and many night vision systems can detect infrared light and transpose it into a digital display that provides humans with a monochromatic view. Scientists endeavored to take that process one step further and combined that infrared data with an AI algorithm that predicts color to render images in the same way they would appear if the light existed in the visible spectrum. Typical night vision systems render scenes as a monochromatic green display, and newer night vision systems use ultrasensitive cameras to detect and amplify visible light. The scientists say that computer vision tasks with low illuminance imaging have employed image enhancement and deep learning to aid in object detection and characterization from the infrared spectrum, but not with accurate interpretation of the same scene in the visible spectrum.

Night-vision cameras convert infrared light – outside the spectrum visible to humans – into visible light so we can "see in the dark". But this infrared information only allows a black-and-white image to be constructed. Now, AI can colourise these images for a more natural feel. Andrew Browne at the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues used a camera that can detect both visible light and part of the infrared spectrum to take 140 images of different faces. The team then trained a neural network to spot correlations between the way objects appeared in infrared and their colour in the visible spectrum. Once trained, this AI could predict the visible colouring from pure infrared images, even those originally taken in total darkness.

A new robotic contact lens which is controlled by small eye movements, including double blinks to zoom in and out, has been created by scientists. The contact lens, which is made from just salt water, works by mimicking the natural electric signals in the human eyeball. There is a steady electrical potential between the eyeball's front and back, even when your eyes are closed or in total darkness. When you move your eyes to look around or blink, the motion of the electrical potential can be measured. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, developed the lens using these signals, called electro-oculograms, to control a soft lens.

Current AI-based "night mode" technology, like the software you'll find on Google's Pixel 3, can make nighttime photos remarkably clear by quickly capturing multiple noisy photos and using AI to combine them into a single, noiseless photo. But unlike those techniques that require a lot of light to begin with, MITs method can work in a completely sealed room. In fact, it only requires one photon per pixel. It's a breakthrough for imaging, and it could have implications for a broad range of industries. It could reveal invisible details in deep space photography and let doctors see living tissue inside of patients without damaging their cells.

Researchers have built an AI-powered camera with the power to'see' through walls. The system uses radio frequencies to sense movement, allowing it to'watch' people walk, jump and sit – even when they are obscured from view. While the camera could allow anyone to spy on you, researchers are hoping it will prove useful in healthcare applications. It could, for instance, be used in care homes to monitor if someone has taken a fall behind closed doors. MIT researchers have developed AI that can see through walls (pictured).

Driving at night is one of the most dangerous activities you can do in a car. Research from the federal government has shown that you're three times more likely to die in a nighttime car crash than in a daytime accident. That figure is no doubt heightened by the effects of drunken and drowsy driving -- but poor night vision can also play a role. That's why some car makers are trying to get their driverless vehicles to operate completely in the dark. In a recent test, Ford's engineers turned off the headlights, donned some night-vision goggles and sent their prototype Fusion sedan on a drive through the company's test track in Arizona.

Driving at night is one of the most dangerous activities you can do in a car. Research from the federal government has shown that you're three times more likely to die in a nighttime car crash than in a daytime accident. That figure is no doubt heightened by the effects of drunken and drowsy driving -- but poor night vision can also play a role. That's why some car makers are trying to get their driverless vehicles to operate completely in the dark. In a recent test, Ford's engineers turned off the headlights, donned some night-vision goggles and sent their prototype Fusion sedan on a drive through the company's test track in Arizona.

The unmistakable glare of car headlights cutting through the darkness on roads at night could soon vanish thanks to new self-driving technology. Car giant Ford has revealed it is testing the ability of its autonomous vehicles to navigate in pitch black conditions without any headlights. The cars use laser sensing technology, called LiDAR, to map the vehicles' surroundings with infrared light, allowing them to steer along even the most winding country roads. Ford has tested its self-driving cars on winding country roads in pitch darkness to show that the vehicles can navigate at night without any headlights. Ford said it is essential its self-driving vehicles are able to stay on the road at times of the day when they are not able to use its camera technology as there is not enough light.