Scientists have developed an innovative new night vision technology that converts near-infrared light to visible light using specialized contact lenses.
In recent tests involving mice and humans, these newly developed lenses successfully demonstrated the ability to allow mice to see both visible and near-infrared light, without relying on any outside power source. The new technology is reminiscent of the visual systems depicted in popular science fiction films like the Predator franchise.
Designed by neuroscientists and materials scientists, the contact lenses use engineered nanoparticles that absorb near-infrared light (800–1600 nm) and convert it into visible wavelengths (400–700 nm). This allows the wearer to see flickering infrared signals and distinguish directional light.
“Our research opens up the potential for non-invasive wearable devices to give people super-vision,” said lead author Tian Xue, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China, adding that the new technology has “many potential applications”.
“For example, flickering infrared light could be used to transmit information in security, rescue, encryption or anti-counterfeiting settings,” Xue said.
Predator-Style Night Vision in Real Life
“Predator vision,” popularly depicted in the eponymous film series, involves a specialized visual system that enhances an individual’s ability to see and hunt by detecting heat signatures and other hard-to-see targets (such as individuals wearing camouflage). In the Predator films, this technology is typically characterized by the ability to perceive infrared or other non-visible light frequencies.
These state-of-the-art lenses are made by embedding nanoparticles into the same soft, biocompatible polymers used in standard contact lenses. After rigorous testing, the results showed positive results in tests with mice and humans that enabled functional night vision.
The results indicated that the mice fitted with the infrared lenses acted as if they saw in the dark. Presented with the choice of a dark box or one lit up by infrared light, the mice wearing the lenses would stay clear of the infrared-lit box, while the control group showed no preference for either box.
In tests involving humans, participants demonstrated the ability to detect Morse code-style infrared flickers and even track the direction of infrared beams. Intriguingly, the researchers also found that the participants’ night vision perceptions improved when they closed their eyes (near-infrared light passes through eyelids better than visible light, thereby reducing interference).
Multiple Wavelengths and Different Colors
The lenses also feature a color-coding function, translating different infrared wavelengths into visible colors. For instance, 980 nm light appears blue, 808 nm becomes green, and 1,532 nm shows up red. This allows for subtle infrared vision and could help individuals with color blindness by converting invisible wavelengths into perceptible tones.
“By converting red visible light into something like green visible light, this technology could make the invisible visible for color blind people,” Xue explained.
The team found one downside: light converted directly on the lens can scatter, which somewhat limits resolution. To account for this, the researchers designed a separate glasses-based system using the same nanoparticle technology to offer clearer detail for high-resolution tasks.
Currently, the lenses can only detect infrared radiation from LED sources. However, researchers are working to enhance their sensitivity by detecting ambient infrared light from other sources, such as body heat or environmental light, for future use.
“In the future, by working together with materials scientists and optical experts, we hope to make a contact lens with more precise spatial resolution and higher sensitivity,” adds Xue.
This paper was originally published in the Cell Press journal Cell on May 22, 2025.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com.