ABSTRACT
Humans have always sought to enhance their ability to see during periods of low illumination and in adverse weather. Historically, natural nighttime illumination from the moon and stars was augmented with artificial illumination to enable people to perform tasks or to provide surveillance capability. Passive night vision systems based on thermal imaging technology operate by detecting infrared emission of objects in the scene. Thermal imaging theory is based on the fact that every object emits radiation. The nature of warfare and its corresponding peacetime training demands match well the operational capabilities of passive night vision systems. The ability to conduct nighttime operations and to provide undetected surveillance are major goals in most military scenarios. The placing of night vision devices on the helmet has significantly increased the amount of weight that must be supported by the head. The contrast and resulting image quality also are a function of the signal-to-noise ratio of the intensifier tube.
