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Graphene Contacts Provide Infrared Vision

posted by janrinok on Thursday March 20 2014, @02:52PM   Printer-friendly
from the a-not-so-cool-view dept.

calmond writes:

"Researchers from the University of Michigan have created a super-thin light detector that can pick up the entire infrared spectrum in addition to visible and ultraviolet light. The heat vision technology is made of graphene, which is considered to be the world's strongest material, and is small enough to fit on a contact lens.

Its developers say the technology could one day give people super-human vision and is particularly relevant for use by the military. Other, non-military uses, such as checking power distribution cables or search-and-rescue tasks are also possible.

A news release from the University team is to be found here, while a technical abstract is here. Unfortunately, the full technical paper is only viewable by payment or membership.

 
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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by ikanreed on Thursday March 20 2014, @05:23PM

    by ikanreed (3164) on Thursday March 20 2014, @05:23PM (#18965) Journal

    Or more optimistically: a way to help make sure you're killing the right people, when you are in the military.

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  • (Score: 2, Funny) by TK on Thursday March 20 2014, @06:47PM

    by TK (2760) on Thursday March 20 2014, @06:47PM (#19020)

    Aim for the ones with body heat. Don't bother shooting the dead ones again.

    --
    The fleas have smaller fleas, upon their backs to bite them, and those fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by ikanreed on Thursday March 20 2014, @07:01PM

      by ikanreed (3164) on Thursday March 20 2014, @07:01PM (#19023) Journal

      Well, I was thinking don't aim for the 2' 6" children that you can now distinguish from just motion in the distance, but, sure.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by etherscythe on Thursday March 20 2014, @08:07PM

      by etherscythe (937) on Thursday March 20 2014, @08:07PM (#19047) Journal

      Too many video games? No, body heat takes some time to dissipate after the metabolic reactors shut down. Unless you're in a battle that goes on for many hours, telling a live body from a dead one is not going to be done by IR emissions.

      Also, a lot of actual battles are happening in rather hot parts of the world right now. Thus, even a long-dead body may appear to be (or actually be) about the right temperature.

      And finally, it's only listed as working into the mid-infrared, which " is known as thermal infrared, but it detects only temperatures somewhat above body temperature [wikipedia.org]", unlike Far Infrared.

      --
      "Fake News: anything reported outside of my own personally chosen echo chamber"

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by SlimmPickens on Friday March 21 2014, @08:15AM

        by SlimmPickens (1056) on Friday March 21 2014, @08:15AM (#19184)

        No, body heat takes some time to dissipate after the metabolic reactors shut down.

        Current IR cameras are already surprisingly good. I reckon these fancy graphene ones (with a lot of CPU behind it) would spot the surface temperate dropping in seconds.