Chinese scientists have developed revolutionary contact lenses that allow people to see in the dark by converting invisible near-infrared light into visible light without the need for bulky night-vision goggles or external power sources. Created by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China, these lenses are imbued with nanoparticles made of gold and rare-earth elements embedded in soft, biocompatible polymers like those found in regular contact lenses.
The nanoparticles absorb infrared light in the 800 to 1600 nanometer range and upconvert it into visible light wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. This expands human vision beyond the natural visible spectrum, allowing users to perceive infrared signals even with their eyes closed, as infrared light more effectively penetrates the eyelids. This feature makes the lenses capable of revealing shapes, texts, and directional infrared patterns invisible to the naked eye.
The lenses are transparent, enabling simultaneous perception of normal and infrared light. In experiments, mice wearing the lenses distinguished infrared-illuminated spaces, while human volunteers perceived Morse code–like signals and different infrared wavelengths, which were color-coded using additional nanoparticles (blue for 980 nm, green for 808 nm, and red for 1532 nm). This color differentiation offers promising applications in medical imaging, security, communication, and helping color-blind individuals.
Unlike traditional night-vision technology that relies on electronic amplification of ambient or emitted infrared light, these contact lenses use nanotechnology to convert the light directly without power. Although currently limited to detecting strong, narrow infrared sources such as LEDs and not low-level environmental infrared, this innovation offers a practical, non-invasive, and wearable alternative that could transform night vision, enhancing human sensory experience and creating new possibilities in various fields.
This advance marks a significant leap forward in wearable optics and human-machine interfaces, heralding the potential for “super-vision” capabilities that could redefine how humans interact with their surroundings in low-light and dark conditions.
