Airborne High-Dynamic Range Anamorphic Hyperspectral Imager

The purpose of this effort is to develop and demonstrate a compact and high-performance hyperspectral imager designed specifically for remote sensing of aquatic systems/ecosystems.nbsp; The proposed design utilizes anamorphic optics, a unique segmented dual blaze grating, and innovative filter placement to maximize the instrumentrsquo;s sensitivity and dynamic range.nbsp; These innovations enable retrieval of fainter signals as compared to conventional slit spectrometers, especially in the short wavelength regime where solar illumination is attenuated by the Earthrsquo;s atmosphere.nbsp; The innovations enable higher performance while keeping cost and weight low.nbsp; The proposed instrument is designed to be flown on low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles, enabling accessibility to a wide range of researchers and data collection in many more scenarios than is possible with current satellite and airborne assets.nbsp;