Low Light Contacts, Am I out of my mind? Options

[Cyntax]

I could have sworn I saw this in a source book somewhere. Maybe I was dreaming about it or something.

[Rasumichin]

You mean contact lenses with low light vision?
They're in the equipment section of the SR4 core rules.

[Cyntax]

Aha, cool, that'll make my little elf poser a little more elf-like.

[VagabondStar]

How would you realistically work that? Making a contact that collects more light and focuses it into the eye? What would happen if you stepped out into the sun?

[Rad]

Backlit, or image-enhanced, or just the same tech as night vision scopes with a limiter built in that adjusts the compensation based on how much ambient light is available...

...hell, they've got photogrey lenses today that darken with exposure to the sun, this is just the opposite. You just need something that amplifies the light received, but responds to the overall light level so it reacts less the more light there actually is. That could be computer-controlled or just a property of the material.

There is the old trope of blinding the guy with night-vision goggles by turning the lights on, but by 2070 I think they've worked that defect out.

[kzt]

There is the issue of "do your eyes glow at night?", which is because in order for your eyes to see something has to be producing light. In this case the contacts need to be creating some light the hits your retina.

If they don't glow are they opaque, which means you are actually looking at the little LCD screen inside the contacts for ALL vision? This means that mages won't wear them, as that's clearly blocking LOS. Even then, as contact float on a fluid layer on your eyes, wouldn't you tend to get some light leakage around the edges that was obvious to anyone using Low light vision?

Or you cold use it as a transparent overlay that puts the low light imagery onto, and is somehow just one way opaque. Again, that would also seem to glow, but wouldn't block LoS.

Or is is something clever that sidesteps this?

How do other people see this?

[WearzManySkins]

Such contacts could paint what they image directly onto your retina using low power laser beams. Results no light or glow to be seen.

WMS

[Jackstand]

I'm pretty sure that it's like WMS says, but this does mean that the image is an electronic vision mode, and so, does not work for mages. That's the province of cybereyes, which work because you spent essence for them, though, I've argued that, because the image from the Low-Light is electronic, it shouldn't work for mages, and of Cat's Eyes bioware, which there's no question over.

[Cadmus]

Ah but what will really bake your noodle is. Not how does the low light work on my contact lens but how about the ultrasound? mag vision, enhanced vision,thermographic, and for those with money after the start of the game all the above and smart link all on your contact lens <cues evil laugh>

[HeavyMetalYeti]

Sounds like Coke bottle contacts ta me.

[psychophipps]

Current-gen FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) doesn't use a super-cold tube to differentiate between heat sources anymore. Instead it uses an image enhancer (the correct term for low-light optics) to pick up the frequency radiated from objects as heat and transforms the image into visible light. The intensity of this radiation is actually able to be combined with traditional image enhancement (low-light) optical systems to create an excellent composite image that it better than either one alone. This technology is the basis for the new 4th-gen night optical systems being tested for the military currently.
The main issue would be developing a clear image enhancing technology that can pick up both frequencies or even one. It would need to be able to collect and enhance the incoming radiation, and still have room to process and send it into the retina in a meaningful way for the whole area of optical field. Pretty damn tall order, you ask me.

Honestly, I call BS on FLIR and Image Enhancement contacts because shades and goggles are just about 1000 times cooler than bitchass contact lenses...

[Jackstand]

I think that contact lenses are cool, so long as they do, like, one thing. Otherwise they get silly. Still, goggles are cooler, though, even if they do nothing.

[WearzManySkins]

Current-gen FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) doesn't use a super-cold tube to differentiate between heat sources anymore. Instead it uses an image enhancer (the correct term for low-light optics) to pick up the frequency radiated from objects as heat and transforms the image into visible light. The intensity of this radiation is actually able to be combined with traditional image enhancement (low-light) optical systems to create an excellent composite image that it better than either one alone. This technology is the basis for the new 4th-gen night optical systems being tested for the military currently.
The main issue would be developing a clear image enhancing technology that can pick up both frequencies or even one. It would need to be able to collect and enhance the incoming radiation, and still have room to process and send it into the retina in a meaningful way for the whole area of optical field. Pretty damn tall order, you ask me.

Honestly, I call BS on FLIR and Image Enhancement contacts because shades and goggles are just about 1000 times cooler than bitchass contact lenses...

Actually it depends on the sensitivity you have for your use/application. For man portable that is true, but non man portable the uses/applications range widely.

But the Devs/Freelancers did not have much depth in such, so in SR4 Light Intensification(Low Light), IR(Thermogrpahic) and Image Enhancement are separate features.

WMS

Edited Italics sections have been added editec.

[Jackstand]

Of course, actually, Enhancement is a third, seperate vision mod from Low Light and Thermographic.

[WearzManySkins]

Of course, actually, Enhancement is a third, seperate vision mod from Low Light and Thermographic.

Ok making some editing.

WMS

[KCKitsune]

That's the province of cybereyes, which work because you spent essence for them, though, I've argued that, because the image from the Low-Light is electronic, it shouldn't work for mages, and of Cat's Eyes bioware, which there's no question over.

Nope you paid the Essence for the eyes, so everything that you squeeze in works.

Honestly, I call BS on FLIR and Image Enhancement contacts because shades and goggles are just about 1000 times cooler than bitchass contact lenses...

I just go with cybereyes. I mean you can change your eye color, iris shape, and the whites of your eyes... what's cooler than that.

OT: Quick question for everyone. Is Image Enhancement a sensor channel for TacNet Software?

[Rasumichin]

There is the old trope of blinding the guy with night-vision goggles by turning the lights on, but by 2070 I think they've worked that defect out.

Yeah, it's called flare compensation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Dumori]

OT: Quick question for everyone. Is Image Enhancement a sensor channel for TacNet Software?

Yes.

P.s on a side not get a simrig as you have 5 channels from that alone.

[WearzManySkins]

OT: Quick question for everyone. Is Image Enhancement a sensor channel for TacNet Software?

From rereading the TacNet, they are not technically sensors by what is given as examples in UnWired, but they are modifiers to a existing visual sensor.

Correct my above statements, it seems that in the fluff vision magnification is a sensor channel, so in light of that vision enhancement would be a sensor channel.

WMS

[Jackstand]

Nope you paid the Essence for the eyes, so everything that you squeeze in works.

That's actually not true. Vision magnification, for example, does not work if it's electronic, rather than an optical system.

[Rasumichin]

That's actually not true. Vision magnification, for example, does not work if it's electronic, rather than an optical system.

The distinction between optic and electronic magnification was removed in SR4.

[Jackstand]

It hasn't been, actually. They're the same item, but there is still a distinction. Just like any gun, for the same price, can be made for cased or caseless ammunition, vision magnification is either electronic or optical.

Vision Magnification: An implanted version of the vision mag enhancement (see p. 324).

It is available as both an optical (ideal for spellcasting at distant targets) or electronic (with real-time image correction) enhancement. For rules on using vision magnification in ranged combat, see p. 141

[Rasumichin]

Hm...for external systems, optical magnification is still necessary.
But i really thought that this holds not true once you payed Essence for it.

[Jackstand]

I looked at the spellcasting targetting section, now, and I guess it's leaning more towards it not making a difference there, but, on the other hand, my impression is that it assumes that no mage would, given the option, get cybereyes with an electronic vision magnification system, rather than an optical one.

[hobgoblin]

my guess is that for reasons of streamlining, optical and electronic is tossed into one option, with either option being fluff to not worry about unless one feel like being anally argumentative.