Dual-mode pushbroom hyperspectral imaging using active system components and feed-forward compensation

Among the methods developed for hyperspectral imaging, pushbroom spatial scanning stands out when it comes to achieving high spectral resolution over a wide spectral range. However, conventional pushbroom systems are usually realized using passive system components, which has limited their flexibility and adaptability and narrowed their application scenarios. In this work, we adopt a different approach to the design and construction of pushbroom systems based on using active internal components. We present a new system concept utilizing an internal line scanning unit and a rotating camera mechanism. This enables a dual-mode imaging system that allows switching between 2D spatial imaging and spectral imaging. The line scanning unit, which consists of a narrow slit mounted to a linear piezo motor, facilitates the spatial scanning of the target while eliminating the laborious relative motion between the target and the imaging system, which is needed in conventional spectrographs. A software is developed for the automation and synchronization of the active components, which enables a novel feed-forward compensation function to compensate the shift in the diffraction angle due to the scanning motion of the slit and provide higher flexibility in data acquisition.