'Super-Vision' Contact Lenses Let Wearers See in the Dark — Even with Their Eyes Closed
- A team of scientists in China has created contact lenses that allow users to perceive near-infrared light even when their eyes are closed, with findings published on May 22, 2025.
- The lenses work by embedding nanoparticles that absorb infrared wavelengths from 800 to 1,600 nanometers and emit visible light without requiring any power source, unlike traditional night-vision goggles.
- Tests on mice showed they detected infrared light and preferred dark environments, while human trials demonstrated wearers could see flickering infrared LEDs and identify light direction, with clearer perception when eyes were closed due to infrared penetration of eyelids.
- Lead researcher Tian Xue explained that their study could lead to the development of wearable technology that enhances human vision beyond normal capabilities, and highlighted that specially engineered nanoparticles might help those with color blindness by transforming infrared signals into colors visible to the eye.
- While the lenses currently only detect strong LED sources and have limited image clarity due to light scattering near the retina, researchers plan to enhance sensitivity and spatial resolution for practical applications in security, rescue, and vision enhancement.
13 Articles
13 Articles
How new infrared contact lenses can help people see in the dark
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have developed special infrared contact lenses that allow people to see in the dark. Unlike night vision goggles, these lenses require no power and can even function with closed eyes. The researchers of the study said that the technology could also benefit people with colour blindness
They Create Contact Lenses that Allow You to See Infrared Light, Even with Your Eyes Closed
The device, which converts infrared light into visible light within the lens, allows to distinguish light signals and opens the door to expanding the sensory reality of humans Hemeroteca - They discover a new color inside the retina: there is a chromatic palette to be explored inside the eye Neuroscientist Tian Xue and his team from the University of Science and Technology of China have just presented a breakthrough that looks like science ficti…
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