Lightweight-Low Cost Hyperspectral Sensor Integration to Support Urban Air Mobility Operations

We integrate small, lightweight, low cost Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) technologies with Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing/Urban Air Mobility (eVTOL/UAM) platforms to provide the most cost-effective, rapid response, and easy to use data collection platform to support Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) missions.  The Department of the Air Force (DAF) plans and responds to HADR missions throughout the world to save lives and prevent human suffering.  Supporting HADR demands the highest fidelity information for rapid Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) detection and geolocation.  Hyperspectral imaging is the most effective remote sensing technology for stand-off HAZMAT detection.  Our solution will deliver on-demand, high-fidelity, remotely-sensed material classifications and geo-locations to support DAF HADR responses. Our proposed HSI technologies were initially built for the Precision Agriculture and Smart City markets for real-time, in situ collection, processing, analysis and dissemination to the user for rapid decision-making.  The analytics processing uses Machine Learning for material recognition and can continuously be “trained” to identify an ever-expanding library of materials.  Other uses-cases for the technology include the location and identification of items of clothing and injured personnel (Search and Rescue) as well as soil moisture conditions, disturbed earth, or runway Foreign Object Debris detections for logistical support response planning.