How to Use Your Keyboard Even When Wearing Night Vision Goggles

Working on a computer during the nighttime or in low visibility conditions can prove to be a pretty daunting task, especially if there's absolutely no light source available. Furthermore, even lighted keyboards have their problems (especially in certain special conditions), and this is the reason why iKey, an important manufacturer of rugged computer peripherals for military applications, is now offering LED backlit keyboards that are compatible with night vision goggles.

Thus, according to the company, the new NVIS Green B compliant iKey keyboards include filters that remove unwanted light interference between their illuminated keys and night vision goggles. They are applicable in military, law enforcement and emergency medical operations that require some form of effective visual enhancement at night. Furthermore, the color and optical properties of iKey's filtered rugged keyboards also comply with MIL-STD specifications and standards for night vision goggle compatible lighting displays.

The new technology developed by iKey could prove to be especially useful, due to the fact that, without filters, LED backlighting can create a bloom effect that causes the wearer of night vision goggles to see a halo-like glow around lit displays, consequently decreasing visibility. By reducing the interference caused by LED lights, iKey's keyboards make consoles both safer and easier to use.

As mentioned earlier, since iKey is an important supplier of military equipment, the new keyboards will most likely find their way into some theaters of war as well. And that's because iKey keyboards come in compact and mountable models with NVIS compatible LED backlighting, which means that they can be successfully implemented into tanks, airplanes, submarines, helicopters and many custom projects.

While no pricing details are available (since the new technology applies to all illuminated keyboards from iKey, mostly under OEM status), it's quite probable that the future models coming from the company will be even more expensive, especially since they weren't exactly cheap in the first place.

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