[Design of hyperspectral imaging system based on LCTF]

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Remote Sensing Technology

Context:

• Traditional hyperspectral imaging systems often rely on mechanical filter wheels, limiting speed and introducing vibrations.
• There is a need for compact, lightweight, and efficient hyperspectral imaging solutions for field applications.

Purpose:

• To describe a novel compact and lightweight hyperspectral imaging system.
• To detail the system's components, including optics and a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF).
• To present results from a field experiment validating the system's performance.

Summary:

• The system integrates an optic lens, a CRI VariSpec LCTF, and a Dalsa camera for rapid, vibrationless wavelength selection across the visible to IR range.
• A field experiment utilizing an airship platform successfully acquired hyperspectral imagery with enhanced spectral and spatial resolution.
• Acquired data was processed to obtain reflection spectra, demonstrating the system's capability for spectral estimation and analysis.

Impact:

• The developed hyperspectral imaging system offers a viable alternative to traditional filter-wheel sensors.
• The system's high-resolution data output is suitable for spectral estimation, classification, and analysis.
• This technology has potential applications in various fields requiring detailed spectral information.