Light-Weight Aerial Hyperspectral Imaging remote sensing system for regional geological and mineral resources surveys

Hyperspectral imaging can provide both continuously spatial and spectral information of the Earth's surface that allows us mapping of the regional geological and mineral resources information. One of the most successful applications of hyperspectral imaging remote sensing identified was regional geological and mineral resource surveys. A light-weight airborne hyperspectral imaging system (LAHIS) has been developed in China. The hardware of the compact LAHIS include hyperspectral VNIR imaging sensors, a hyperspectral SWIR imaging sensors, high resolution optical remote sensor and a POS (IMU and DGPS). The weight of the system is less than 23kg. The VNIR hyperspectral imaging sensors measures incoming radiation in 250 contiguous spectral channels in the 400–1000 nm wavelength range with spectral resolution of better than 2-3 nm and creates images of 334 pixels for a line of targets with a nominal instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of ~1 mrad. The SWIR hyperspectral imaging sensors measures incoming radiation in 256 contiguous spectral channels in the 1000–2500 nm wavelength range with spectral resolution of better than 6 nm and creates images of 320 pixels for a line of targets with a nominal instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of ~2 mrad. The 400 to 2500nm spectral range provides abundant information about the regional geological and mineral resources information. Two ground mineral scan experiment and an UAV carried flying experiment has been done. The experiment results show the LAHIS have achieved relative high performance levels in terms of signal to noise ratio and image quality. The potential applications for light-weight airborne hyperspectral imaging system in the regional geological and mineral resources survey are tremendous.