Hyperspectral Imager for Mine and Obstacle Detection

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) will develop an airborne optical payload for surface and subsurface mine and obstacle detection in support of remote breaching operations. The mine and obstacle detection optical payload (MOD-OP) will be coupled with custom algorithms tailored for detection of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and common obstacles including concertina wire and tetrahedrons. The payload hardware covers a broad spectral range (0.4-2.5 ?m and 7.5-13.5 ?m) with three distinct channels including a hyperspectral channel that captures a variety of surface and subsurface target phenomenologies s that the algorithms will exploit to enable detection even in highly cluttered and camouflaged environments. The MOD-OP sensor will operate from a commercial UAS at 250 m altitude and will cover a 4.5ū150 m breaching lane in less than 10 s, supporting covert and fast missions that remove the soldier from direct mine-related hazards. The Phase I effort will develop a system model that fully describes the MOD-OP hardware. Test imagery over the relevant spectral ranges will be acquired with an existing sensor and used to modify mine detection algorithms previously developed by PSI. Requirements and a preliminary design for a Phase II prototype will also be generated.