New Camera Technology Lets Humans See Colors the Way Animals Do

Tue, 05 May 2026 02:32:00 +0200

Researchers led by Vera Vasas have developed an advanced camera system that allows humans to see the world as various animals do. Unlike humans, who have three types of cone cells for red, green, and blue light, many animals possess additional photoreceptors that let them perceive ultraviolet or infrared light. Birds, for example, have tetrachromatic vision, while bees also see ultraviolet patterns on flowers. On the other hand, dogs and cats have dichromatic vision, limiting their color perception. Traditional methods for simulating animal vision, like false color imaging, are slow and limited, but Vasas’s system records in four color channels—blue, green, red, and ultraviolet—and converts this data into perceptual units that mimic animal vision in real time. The system has over 92% accuracy compared to standard spectrophotometry, making it a reliable tool for both scientific research and filmmaking. It is also practical, using commercially available cameras housed in 3D-printed cases