Hyperspectral imaging, like other spectral imaging, collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. It combines the power of digital imaging and spectroscopy. For each pixel in an image, a hyperspectral camera acquires the light intensity (radiance) for a large number (typically a few tens to several hundred) of contiguous spectral bands. Every pixel in the image thus contains a continuous spectrum (in radiance or reflectance) and can be used to characterize the objects in the scene with great precision and detail. With such precise imaging, you don’t want to leave your design to guesswork. Having UKA on your team will provide you with the confidence knowing your specific lens is designed, engineered and manufactured within one facility and with the precision needed for your application.
The goal of hyperspectral imaging is to obtain the spectrum for each pixel in the image of a scene, with the purpose of finding objects, identifying materials, or detecting processes.
Recently, researchers at the Bodleian Libraries used hyperspectral imaging to reveal never-seen-before pictographic scenes from a rare precolonial Mexican codex that has been hidden underneath a layer of gypsum and chalk for 500 years.
Until now, no other technique has been able to unveil the concealed pictorial narrative in a noninvasive manner. The organic paints that were used to partially create the vibrant images on early Mexican codices do not absorb x-rays, which ruled out x-ray analysis, a technique that is commonly used to study works of art.
“Hyperspectral imaging has shown great promise in helping us to begin to reconstruct the story of the hidden codex and ultimately to recover new information about Mixtec history and archaeology,” said David Howell, head of Heritage Science at the Bodleian Libraries. “This is very much a new technique, and we’ve learned valuable lessons about how to use hyperspectral imaging in the future both for this very fragile manuscript and for countless others like it.”
Utilizing hyperspectral imaging in the field of archeology is just one example of an area of study that it can be used. Recent advances in sensor design along with faster processing speed, has cleared the path for a wide range of applications. Ranging from satellite based/airborne remote sensing and military target detection, to industrial quality control, and in lab applications for medicine and biophysics. Due to the rich information content in hyperspectral images, they are well suited for automated image processing, whether it is for online industrial monitoring or for remote sensing.
With recent advances in sensor development and the advances of computer power, what was once slow and unreliable in research prototypes, hyperspectral imaging is a reliable and accurate analytical instrument. It’s important to note that the scanning is often intrinsic to the application. Also, in many industrial quality control applications, products conveniently pass the sensor on their conveyor belt.
Universe Kogaku designs and manufactures optical lenses for Hyperspectral Imaging, security, high tech and electronic applications. We stock 1000’s of standard lens assemblies and can custom design a solution for scanners, CCTV, CCD/CMOS, medical imaging, surveillance systems, machine vision and night vision systems.