An Airborne VNIR and SWIR Imaging Spectrometer

The innovation is an Airborne VNIR and SWIR Imaging Spectrometer (AVSIS) that acquires calibrated hyperspectral data within the 400?1700nm range (expandable to 2,500nm) for light aircraft/UAV. AVSIS is a grating-type hyperspectral scanner using all solid-state Silicon/InGaAs sensors via a common slit imaging approach. By simultaneously imaging Earth surface and acquiring downwelling irradiance or reference radiance via switching fiber optics, Earth surface spectral reflectance or radiance is measured. With platform positioning, attitude, and altitude measurements, its data cube is precisely geo-referenced. AVSIS has a spectral resolution better than 5nm with a swath width better than 320 pixels and quantization resolution better than 10-bits. AVSIS is tightly integrated. A tightened airborne computer (weighing 20LBs) is developed to interface and power its imaging components, positioning/attitude/altitude measurement sensors, and radio-link. The power and interconnection circuits for AVSIS attachments are build-ins of the compact computer. Seamless real-time operation is implemented by intuitive graphic user interface or system automation.AVSIS achieves great expandability with its modularization and network design. AVSIS can be operated alone or as a networked node with other supplementary nodes in an imaging cluster, which includes Flight Landata?s high-resolution multispectral/photographic imaging nodes, and a future fluorescence lidar for thematic airborne remote sensing.