LWIR Compressive Hyperspectral Imager

Current hyperspectral imaging systems are large, expensive, and produce a large quantity of superfluous data that is typically compressed as part of detection and analysis. A hyperspectral imaging solution based on compressive sensing concepts is sought with utility to remote monitoring of activities associated with nuclear and radiological material production. A highly sensitive yet low-cost and ruggedized compressive sensing hyperspectral imager solution is proposed. The sensor will operate in the longwave infrared to remotely detect a number of chemicals associated nuclear and radiological material production. A novel basis set is being applied specifically tailored for accurate recovery of the plume information from the compressed data. Under the Phase I a system model will be generated, and a breadboard system will be designed, built, and tested. The basis set and preliminary reconstruction algorithms will be demonstrated. The Phase I will also produce requirements and a conceptual design for a prototype instrument to be fully developed under a Phase II effort. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits. Applications include airborne or mobile ground based surveillance of process streams indicative of radiological, nuclear, and chemical agent manufacturing activities. This system could also serve a broader range of airborne surveillance activities. The proposed solution could be widely adopted for homeland security applications, for example, monitoring large public venues such as stadiums, auditoriums, public transportation, etc. This system could be used in the commercial sector for toxic industrial chemical detection and process monitoring.