This Camera Can Defeat Camouflaged Enemy  

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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are commonly used for reconnaissance and having that eye in the sky. When a UAV detects a threat, it usually reports it right back to the soldiers to let them know beforehand about any potential threats. However, when the enemy uses camouflage to become less conspicuous, it is more difficult for soldiers and UAV to identify them because they somewhat blend in with nature. Researchers have recently created a new tiny camera for UAVs that lets them see through camouflage and expose enemies. 

The research and development of the camera was somewhat funded by the Air Force Research Lab. 

In order for cameras to become better and more clearer, they must be polarized. Polarization is the process of reducing those light waves shooting off in various directions into a single wave. So polarizing the camera lens reduces the glare and makes for a more clear and apparent picture. If the camera is partially polarized though, the concealed enemies and objects would still be hard to find. On the other hand, if the lens is fully polarized then light can be seen one at a time from numerous planes. The planes can be very large and have moving parts making it yet again difficult to detect enemies in camouflage, according to uasvision.com.  

The new camera has the ability to detect enemies from a distance using polarization. The researchers got a whole new perspective of polarization by understanding the mathematical portion of it. 

Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed this new camera for UAV. Once UAVs are equipped with this camera, it will become much more difficult for enemies to hide from soldiers.