Unlike humans, the eye structure of animals such as bees and hummingbirds means they can see ultraviolet light.
advertisementHave you ever wanted to know how animals see the world? That may soon be possible, as new technology provides insight into how they perceive color.
Different animals have different perceptions of the world. eye work. The human retina has three color-sensing cells called cones, which allow us to see red, green, and blue wavelengths of light. The mixture of these three colors makes up the rainbow hues we see every day.
Unlike humans, the structure of the animal eye looks like this: bee And hummingbirds can see ultraviolet (UV) light. It helps them find nectar and opens up a wide spectrum of colors that we can't even imagine.
To understand how these creatures communicate and interact with the world around them, scientists can reconstruct their worldview. However, traditional methods of doing this are time-consuming, require specific lighting, and often fail to capture video.
New technology now allows ecologists and filmmakers to produce videos that reproduce the colors seen by different animals with more than 90% accuracy.
How does the animal perspective camera work?
“We've long been fascinated by how animals see the world,” says Daniel Hanley, one of the authors. research Assistant Professor of Biology at George Mason University.
Hanley added that video is essential to understanding animals because they often use moving objects to make important decisions about targets.
The new camera system records in four different color channels: blue, green, red and UV. The images are then processed based on what is already known about the photoreceptors in the animal's eyes to create an accurate representation of what the animal sees.
” camera Using this system and associated software package, ecologists can understand how animals use color in dynamic behavioral displays, how natural lighting changes perceived color, and the appropriate tools. This will allow us to explore other questions that have remained unanswered until now due to lack of information. ” the researchers wrote.
The technology was developed by researchers at the Hanley Collar Institute at the University of Sussex in the UK and George Mason University in the US. Using cameras that anyone can buy, open source software, and 3D printing, they will allow other teams around the world to recreate the animal's perspective.
Watch the video above to see the world through an animal's eyes.