Scientists in Nanosystem Research Division of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan came up with a technology in security camera that uses infrared radiation which allows the user to take color pictures and videos even in the dark.
The Color Night Vision Camera, uses infrared to reproduce the red, blue, and green colors of objects. The quality is not very good now.
If you were asking about how it can work, it takes a scan of the room then it uses a highly sensitive infrared technology to capture the surroundings and get a digital lay of the land. Once it has the image an advanced algorithm takes over the photo process. By analyzing the reflected wavelengths from objects of various colors, the camera takes a best guess at what color the item is, and fills that color into the image. The system seems to have a high degree of accuracy, but some minor issues with shade could occur.The camera is expected to go on sale to the public by the end of 2011. No word has been give on price at this point, as the device still needs to be made small enough for hand use.