Book Description

Hyperspectral (HSI) and multispectral or multiband imaging (MSI) systems are powerful tools in the field of remote sensing. While HSI systems collect at least 100 spectral bands of 10 20 nm width, MSI sensors are systems collecting less than 20, generally non contiguous, spectral bands. HSI systems have a very wide capability of spectral discrimination, while MSI systems are designed to support applications by providing bands that detect information in specific combinations of desirable regions of the spectrum. The number and position of bands in each system provide a unique combination of spectral information and are tailored to the requirements the sensor was designed to support. Promising or well developed military applications of multispectral and hyperspectral technologies are: * Gathering information about battlespace; * Discrimination between targets and decoys; * Defeating camouflage; * Early warning for long range missiles and space surveillance; * Detection of weapons of mass destruction; and * Detection of landmines. The paper reviews today's technologies that are applied in hyperspectral, multispectral and multiband imaging systems and lists commercially available sensors for airborne, spaceborne and ground based applications. Although not exhaustive, the survey does provide a fairly complete picture of all current and emerging technologies and deployed imaging systems. Most HSI and MSI systems work in a wavelength range from the visible to the infrared. This survey is dedicated to the technologies involved in the domain of the infrared, commonly divided in bands called Near Infrared (NIR), Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR), Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR), and Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR). This paper is part of RTG-33's (SET-065) activities in assessing multispectral/multiband infrared imaging systems. The information in this report is considered valid to a date of September 2005. The information provided is unclassified and publicly available.