Science

Ultraviolet TV could provide a better understanding of animals' vision

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A clownfish checks out the programming on the UV-TV
University of Queensland
A clownfish checks out the programming on the UV-TV
University of Queensland
The UV-TV's 4 by 5-cm screen has a resolution of 8 by 12 pixels
University of Queensland

Unlike us, many animals can see ultraviolet light. If you're using a video screen to study their visual perception, therefore, that screen really ought to work in the UV spectrum – and a new one does exactly that.

Known as the UV-TV, the prototype device was developed by a team at Australia's University of Queensland. And while a regular video screen produces colors based on a mixture of red, green and blue, the UV-TV throws violet and ultraviolet into the mix. Each pixel is made up of five LEDs, one in each color.

That said, its resolution is quite low – just 8 by 12 pixels within a 4-by-5-cm (1.6 by 2-in) screen. According to the scientists, though, that's sufficient for analyzing how perception of UV light helps various animals to understand the world around them.

The UV-TV's 4 by 5-cm screen has a resolution of 8 by 12 pixels
University of Queensland

"We've recently started studying the vision of anemonefish or clownfish – aka, Nemo – which, unlike humans, have UV-sensitive vision," says Dr. Karen Cheney. "Our research is already showing that the white stripes on anemonefish also reflect UV, so we think UV color signals may be used to recognize each other and may be involved in signaling dominance within their social group. Who knows what other discoveries we can now make about how certain animals behave, interact and think."

The technology is described in a paper that was recently published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

Source: University of Queensland via EurekAlert

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2 comments
Giovanni Roverso
Very cool. I both wonder what a scene would look like if we had those 5 wavelengths, plus infrared maybe added to something like a TV. Then had a camera thst could record all that information. I guess it would be like true hi-fi. I'm thinking of how hi-fi audio has more information we don't easily perceive, and yet we can perceive at least a subtle difference. Of course we don't want to get our retinas damaged by true violet and UV light. So at least such pixel components would have to be aimed and refracted sideways like in a kindle paperwhite just to start being safe with it.
Are there any people out there with blue receptors sensitive enough to perceive UV?
Giovanni Roverso
Oh interesting, apparently everyone before middle age can see part of the UV frequency it's been discovered recently.
https://publichealth.uga.edu/uga-study-finds-people-can-see-uv-light-opens-questions-about-consequences-for-eye-health/