New Technology Allows Humans to See World Through Animal Eyes

The open-source software and specially designed hardware capture and process light in diverse wavelengths, providing unique insights into animal behavior and perception.

• Researchers have developed a new video hardware and software system that allows humans to see the world as various animals do, including birds, butterflies, honeybees, and mice.
• The system captures light in diverse wavelengths, including in the infrared and ultraviolet ranges, and processes it to deliver footage as if it’s through the eyes of a particular animal, based on what we know of their eye receptors.
• The camera technology can capture differently colored views of any scene, for example, to honeybees, human skin appears unremarkable until white sunscreen is applied—then, it absorbs more ultraviolet light and appears as a vibrant yellow.
• The researchers have made the software open-source and designed the hardware to suit commercially available cameras, encouraging its use in various fields such as nature documentaries, conservation, and natural history projects.
• While the system has limitations – it can’t capture polarized light and has a limited frame rate – it offers unique insights to further our understanding of animal behavior and help us moderate our impact on the natural world.

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