Vargr: "their eyesight is worse in darkness?!?"

[actionman]

Poorer colour perception - Dichromatic as opposed to Trichromatic Vision

Here is the difference between dichromatic and trichromatic color vision. This is also why hunters wear orange vests and hats. They're very bright safety colors to other hunters, but green to deer.

 

[WHULorigan]

Here is the difference between dichromatic and trichromatic color vision. This is also why hunters wear orange vests and hats. They're very bright safety colors to other hunters, but green to deer.

View attachment 3744

I hadn't thought about that (the vest colour of hunters, I mean).

 

[actionman]

I hadn't thought about that (the vest colour of hunters, I mean).

I saw that pic randomly the other day, and I found it enlightening. And, it turned out to be an excellent visual reference for the discussion on Vargr color vision.

In a Traveller context, uniforms of soldiers fighting against Vargr forces could have armbands/identifiers of a particular color that is easily visible to non-Vargr but blending in with the environment in Vargr visual range.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Tetrachromatic is becoming a scientifically recognised mutation in a minority of women, you need 2 X chromosomes to have it and it is rare at the moment. Studies are still being conducted.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[WHULorigan]

Tetrachromatic is becoming a scientifically recognised mutation in a minority of women, you need 2 X chromosomes to have it and it is rare at the moment. Studies are still being conducted.

I have heard of tetrachromatic vision. Any idea of if/what additional wavelegths it allows them to see? Or does it just allow the sight of the standard human spectrum more crisply and vividly?

In general, even women with normal trichromatic vision discern subtleties in shades of colour far more finely than men because they have more cones than men do. That is why men always have to deal with the "Those two pieces of clothing don't go together" thing, when they look fine to us.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Greater sensitivity in the green to red part of the visible spectrum.

Tetrachromacy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ottarrus]

Hijacking this. Thermal scope vision came up in an r/20 game the other day.

 

[Condottiere]

I suspect at somewhat higher technological levels, the picture is digitalized, and the wearer gets a computer enhanced variant, which would filter into more clear outlines.

 

[Sigtrygg]

You mean like current night vision for infantry?

or the due this year model

 

[Condottiere]

I think it would be a stage higher, to avoid falling for that same blindspots, that I'll assume some animal visions would have.

Which I'll assume will be with artificial intelligence, and if networked, you can see the same area from multiple angles, which would give depth.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Again, this is done today. The signal from each soldier's headset can be amalgamated by a computer to produce a 3D battlespace visualisation for the REMFOs.
Do not attribute to a higher TL that which is operable today.

 

[ottarrus]

I think that NVG systems at TL 12 are probably passive systems that are full color and have good distance discernment within the limitations of available light. And yes, that last part is important.
The LAST thing a troop wants is something on his that is emitting a signal in a wide spectrum. Most communications systems within higher TL company /platoon /squad net are laser or maser tight-beam systems that fire a burst transmission of info. But you don't want some great big lens projecting a signal on your head.
Remember that as technologies rise, so do counter technologies. And in some cases, the counter-technology advances faster! Witness the Allies combined offensive against U-Boats in War Two. It only took two years for Allied technologies to completely outpace Axis technologies in the submarine war.

 

[Condottiere]

Also, distractions and possibility of disorientation.

For long term usage, you'd want something where you can clearly identify terrain and moving objects.

 

[AndrewW]

And in some cases, the counter-technology advances faster! Witness the Allies combined offensive against U-Boats in War Two. It only took two years for Allied technologies to completely outpace Axis technologies in the submarine war.

Such as the hedgehog, which you don't hear much about.

But part of that was also reading their encrypted messages.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I think that NVG systems at TL 12 are probably passive systems that are full color and have good distance discernment within the limitations of available light. And yes, that last part is important.

So do current and next gen NVG, it is not necessary to hang about for TL12 when we can build them today.

The LAST thing a troop wants is something on his that is emitting a signal in a wide spectrum. Most communications systems within higher TL company /platoon /squad net are laser or maser tight-beam systems that fire a burst transmission of info. But you don't want some great big lens projecting a signal on your head.

The war in Ukraine has already shown the danger of using mobile phone technology, which is why military battlefield comms are a classified area of research and development.

No infantryman is going into a combat zone with an EM signature due to the equipment they are carrying, everything is going to be very difficuult to detect.

 

[actionman]

I read an article years ago about a device in use by US special operations teams that gave them almost 360 degree vision by tapping into a nerve in their tongues. The device transmitted signals to the soldiers' brains through the nerve in their tongues. I remember the article because of the soldiers mentioned that it "...felt like pop-rocks on my tongue". I did an online search right now but I couldn't find it. I think I read this about 2007.

I found something else interesting though. A augmented reality vision system that gives vehicle crews 360 degree x-ray vision.

HoloLens Can Give Tank Crews 360-Degree X-Ray Vision on Missions

As a commercial and potentially consumer product, one might assume it very unlikely to see the Microsoft HoloLens in the military marketplace. And that assumption would be completely wrong. One company from the Ukraine is currently working on using the mixed reality head-mounted computer for...

hololens.reality.news

 

[Condottiere]

Likely glass cockpit for vehicles.

I do tend to think there would be a difference between something that would be vehicle installed and powered, and one that would be carried by an infantryman.

 

[actionman]

No infantryman is going into a combat zone with an EM signature due to the equipment they are carrying, everything is going to be very difficuult to detect.

In a Traveller context, I wonder. As an infantryman's armor becomes larger and heavier (combat armor and battledress), being detectable to high TL sensors may not be avoidable. Casualties might be very high.

I was thinking about this in terms of battlefield/battlespace operating systems.

Maneuver
Mobility / Countermobility / Survivability
Fire Support
Air Defense
Intelligence (or Failures Thereof)
Combat Service Support
Command & Control (or Running Around Like a Chicken With It's Head Cut Off)

And the gist of it was try to use one's BOS to disrupt the enemy's BOS to gain a decisive advantage and win the battle.

Then I started thinking about more specific systems, like infantry, artillery, aircraft, drones, armor, etc., along the lines of which BOS to use to knock out the enemy's BOS, like use EMP weapons or stacked munition volley guns loaded with shot or something mounted on vehicles to destroy or neutralize enemy drones, which would enable aggressive use of one's armored vehicles.

https://fighterjetsworld.com/air/fi...nute-how-the-hell-this-is-even-possible/9095/

 

[actionman]

Again, this is done today. The signal from each soldier's headset can be amalgamated by a computer to produce a 3D battlespace visualisation for the REMFOs.
Do not attribute to a higher TL that which is operable today.