Hyperspectral Imaging

Like other spectral images, hyperspectral imaging collects and processes data from all across the electromagnetic spectrum. It combines digital imaging with spectroscopy. A hyperspectral camera measures the intensity of light (radiance), for each pixel, in a wide range (usually a few tens up to several hundreds) of adjacent spectral bands. Each pixel contains a continuous spectrum of radiance (or reflectance), which can be used for identifying objects with high precision. You don’t want your design to be based on guesswork when you have such accurate imaging. UKA will give you the assurance that your lens was designed, engineered and produced in one facility with the precision required for your application.

Hyperspectral Imaging

Hyperspectral imaging aims to determine the spectrum of each pixel of an image, in order to detect processes, identify materials or find objects.

Researchers at the Bodleian Library used hyperspectral images to reveal previously unseen pictographic scenes in a precolonial Mexican Codex, which had been covered with gypsum for 500 years.

No other noninvasive technique had been able, until now, to reveal the hidden pictorial story. Organic paints used to create vibrant images on the early Mexican codices are not x-ray-sensitive, so xray analysis was out.

David Howell is the head of Heritage Science for the Bodleian Library. He said that hyperspectral imaging had shown great promise to help us begin to reconstruct the history of the codex, and to ultimately recover new information on Mixtec history and archaeological sites. This is a very new technique. We’ve learned valuable lessons on how to use hyperspectral imagery in the future, both for this fragile manuscript and countless others.

Hyperspectral imaging can be applied in a variety of fields. Recent improvements in sensor design and faster processing speeds have opened up a variety of new applications. From satellite-based/airborne target detection and industrial quality control to lab applications in medicine and biophysics, the range of applications is vast. Hyperspectral images are ideal for automated image processing due to their rich content of information. This is true for both online industrial monitoring and remote sensing.

Hyperspectral imaging has become a reliable analytical tool with recent improvements in sensor technology and computer power. The scanning is usually integral to the application. In many industrial applications for quality control, the products pass by the sensor conveniently on their conveyor belt.

SUPERIOR® Optics manufactures and designs optical lenses for Hyperspectral Imaging and other high-tech and electronic applications. We have 1000’s standard lens assemblies in stock and can design a custom solution for scanners and CCTV, CCD/CMOS and medical imaging.