Passive shortwave infrared broadband and hyperspectral imaging in a maritime environment

K. Peter Judd; Jonathan M. Nichols; J. Grant Howard; James R. Waterman; Kenneth M. Vilardebo

doi:10.1117/1.OE.51.1.013202

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9 February 2012 Passive shortwave infrared broadband and hyperspectral imaging in a maritime environment

K. Peter Judd, Jonathan M. Nichols, J. Grant Howard, James R. Waterman, Kenneth M. Vilardebo

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Optical Engineering, 51(1), 013202 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.1.013202

Abstract

This work offers a comparison of broadband shortwave infrared, defined as the spectral band from 0.9 to 1.7 μm, and hyperspectral shortwave infrared imagers in a marine environment under various daylight conditions. Both imagers are built around a Raytheon Vision Systems large format (1024×1280) indium-gallium-arsenide focal plane array with high dynamic range and low noise electronics. Sample imagery from a variety of objects and scenes indicates roughly the same visual performance between the two systems. However, we show that the more detailed spectral information provided by the hyperspectral system allows for object detection and discrimination. A vessel was equipped with panels coated with a variety of paints that possessed spectral differences in the 0.9 to 1.7 μm waveband. The vessel was imaged at various ranges, states of background clutter, and times of the day. Using a standard correlation receiver, it is demonstrated that image pixels containing the paint can be easily identified. During the exercise, it was also observed that both bow waves and near-field wakes from a wide variety of vessel traffic provide a spectral signature in the shortwave infrared waveband that could potentially be used for object tracking.

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K. Peter Judd, Jonathan M. Nichols, J. Grant Howard, James R. Waterman, and Kenneth M. Vilardebo "Passive shortwave infrared broadband and hyperspectral imaging in a maritime environment," Optical Engineering 51(1), 013202 (9 February 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.51.1.013202

Published: 9 February 2012

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