IBM patents Google Glass-like night vision eyewear

IBM patents night vision Google Glass tech for superhuman sight

The patent read: "The wearer of current glasses such as Google Glass is subject to the risk of a phenomena referred to as binocular rivalry and phoria - a latent deviation or misalignment of the eyes that appears when both eyes are no longer looking at the same object. "

NEW YORK: US tech giant IBM has patented an eye wear like Google Glass that will have red-eyed night vision capabilities, a media report said.

Although not promising a true night vision, the device is described in the patent to improve sight under low light by tricking the brain to focus on high-contrast imagery.

"IBM's Google Glass modifications include a sensor and 'a comparator device' designed to detect and contrast light intensity. When the light intensity drops below a set level, a pair of projectors -- one for each eye -- bathe the user's eyes in red light,"

While the high-tech eye-tech does not provide true night vision per se, the system described in the patent instead aims to trick the human brain into focusing on high-contrast imagery in low light.

Big Blue's Google Glass modifications include a sensor and "a comparator device" designed to detect and contrast light intensity. When the light intensity drops below a set level, a pair of projectors – one for each eye – bathe the user's eyes in red light. The patent claims the effect is similar to that of dark rooms used in photography or the red-tinted glasses worn by some airline pilots.

The science behind the technology centres on the way in which the human eye adapts to poorly-lit environments. When a person enters a dark room, a slow adjustment takes place where a type of photoreceptor in the eye –called rod cells – adapts to the low levels of light.

However, environments enveloped in darkness with a red-tinge cause the rod cells to send high-contrast images to the brain. Under these conditions, visibility is greatly improved and it is far easier to make out objects. IBM's red-overlay design uses this principle to mimic night-vision and improve the wearer's sight in dark environments.

Binocular rivalry and phoria

While it appears that IBM's patent could suit almost any kind of tech-powered eyewear with the appropriate adaptation, Google Glass is noted specifically due to the side-effects that night-vision technology of this kind could induce.