Spectral Imaging Target Development Based on Hiearchical Cluster Analysis

Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group similar spectra from a large database of samples. Based on angles between reflectance vectors of members of a cluster, a reflectance vector was selected as representative of that cluster. Representative samples were grouped together and stored as new calibration targets. Simulated wide-band imaging with glass filters was performed using these new calibration targets and a transformation matrix from digital signals to reflectance was derived. Different verification targets were reconstructed using the transformation matrix; the spectral and colorimetric accuracy of the reconstruction was evaluated. It was shown that beyond a threshold number of samples in the calibration target, the performance of reconstruction became independent of the number of samples used in the calculation. The average spectral RMS for a calibration target consisting of 24 samples selected based on clustering were found to be less than 3.2% for GretagMacbeth ColorChecker DC, GretagMacbeth ColorChecker Rendition Chart, and Esser Test Chart TE221.