SWIR variable dispersion spectral imaging sensor

Abstract

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98) REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGEPrescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, A novel spectral imaging sensor based on dual direct vision prisms is described. The prisms project a spectral image onto the focal plane array of an infrared camera. The prism set is rotated on the camera axis and the resulting spectral information is extracted as an image cube(x, y, l), using tomographic techniques. The sensor resolves more than 40 spectral bands (channels) at wavelengths between 1.2 microns and 2.5 microns wavelength. The sensor dispersion characteristic is determined by the vector sum of the dispersions of the two prisms. The number of resolved channels, and the related signal strength per channel, varies with the angle between the prism dispersion axes. This is a new capability for this class of spectral imaging sensor. Reconstructed short-wave imagery and spectral data is presented for outdoor and laboratory scenes and for standard test sources. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S) SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S) ABSTRACTA novel spectral imaging sensor based on dual direct vision prisms is described. The prisms project a spectral image onto the focal plane array of an infrared camera. The prism set is rotated on the camera axis and the resulting spectral information is extracted as an image cube (x, y, λ), using tomographic techniques. The sensor resolves more than 40 spectral bands (channels) at wavelengths between 1.2 µm and 2.5 µm wavelength. The sensor dispersion characteristic is determined by the vector sum of the dispersions of the two prisms. The number of resolved channels, and the related signal strength per channel, varies with the angle between the prism dispersion axes. This is a new capability for this class of spectral imaging sensor. Reconstructed short-wave imagery and spectral data is presented for field and laboratory scenes and for standard test sources.