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"Shimmer Vision" Scopes See Better Using Heat

Posted by kdawson on from the coco-bop dept.

holy_calamity writes "New Scientist reports on a neat DARPA idea that uses the shimmer of heat haze to allow binoculars to see further. It works by exploiting the fact that some distortions from heat haze actually magnify objects behind them. The binoculars collect a series of frames when that is occurring to boost magnification by 3 times. The design goal is to be able to present one image a second, and to enable facial recognition at 90% accuracy at a distance of 1 km. The scopes could be on the battlefield inside of 3 years."

5 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. 3 years by narcberry · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seems like everything will be on the battlefield inside of 3 years. Read as project will be dropped inside of 3 years after soaking up 3 years worth of government investing.

    --
    Modding me -1 troll doesn't make me wrong.
    1. Re:3 years by Inominate · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Depends on the battlefield. If there is no battlefield it means 5 years. If there is an active war it often means 6 months or a year.

      There is little that can kick technological advancement into high-gear like an active war.

    2. Re:3 years by KGIII · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is *my* opinion.

      War has resulted in more technological breakthroughs and advances than any other single cause in the history of man. From stones to nukes.

      It kind of sucks that we don't seem to bond with our fellow man until we're at risk.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:3 years by Hozza · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And this is *my* opinion.

      Many, if not most, of the worlds greatest inventions were developed in peacetime, for peaceful purposes.

      A short list:
      Writing
      Vaccinations
      Steam power
      Industrial revolution
      Internal combustion engine
      Light bulb
      Aeroplanes
      Transistors
      World Wide Web

      etc etc etc

      This "war is good for technology" meme is complete hogwash. And has been throughout recorded history.

    4. Re:3 years by Leonard+Fedorov · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, but the Second World War greatly accelerated the development of jet aircraft.
      The World Wide Web is descended from APRANET which was a military network designed by the American Goverment to resist a nuclear war.
      And Florence Nightengale developed most of the theory while out in the Crimean war and her experiances there led her to conduct further research.

      Complete hogwash you say?