Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Advancements In Hyperspectral Imaging Systems

By Patricia Parker


The human eye can distinguish only three primary colors of visible light. This is in contradistinction to computer vision systems, which are capable of distinguishing a greater lineup of color channels. Hyperspectral imaging systems are capable of differentiating spectral domains from infrared to ultraviolet, which enable machine visions to display the reflectance differences that humans cannot see.

Hyperspectral imaging is a photography technique that collects particular information from the whole band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Compared to traditional color cameras, this imaging provides a digital image with more analytics and data. With this spelling out of the whole spectrum of each pixel in the image, observers may be able to better find objects, identify materials, and detect certain processes.

This imaging has assorted applications and uses in everyday life. Its proper utilization, though, requires proper understanding and a certain expertise. There are many processes and strategies used in interpreting resultant images, and they also have limitations. Certain knowledge includes recognizing the different fingerprints or spectral signature of different substances and materials.

Its uses range from areas and applications as diverse as astronomy, pharmaceuticals, medicine, biology, food industry, agriculture, forensics, remote sensing, geosciences, and environmental studies. In astronomy, for example, astroimaging cameras use this selfsame technique to differentiate the cloudy and fuzzy star clusters and galaxies. In molecular biology, this technique is used to compound the effects of dyes and stains by emphasizing the parts and boundaries of cellular forms.

In the area of forensic sciences, HSI identifies convicting evidence like blood and DNA samples and fingerprints. In the brach of medicine, HSI is used to identify certain aberrations such as tumors and foreign elements and substances that cause diseases. Remote sensing and surveillance operations by the military forces use this imaging as well in order to pinpoint targets and locations. In geology and petrology, this is used to scale topography or track undiscovered oil and gas fields.

In agriculture, HSI is availed in seed viability studies, for example, or invasive weed mapping. It is also used specifically in food research to identify defects, determine quality, and locate contaminants, like in the bruise detection of apples, characterization of the freshness of fish, or the sorting of potatoes. In environmental monitoring, it is used in tracking changes in ecology, such as assessing carbon emissions, identifying pollution levels, and more.

For imaging systems and products, there are hyperspectral cameras, which can cover three hundred up to one thousand and seven hundred nanometers in spectral range. If youre after automated sorting and quality control applications, theres the hyperspectral machine vision systems. There are benchtop, outdoor, and airborne systems. Benchtop is for laboratory and industrial use, the outdoor is mounted on a tripod for field use, and the airborne is designed for UAVs and manned aircraft.Accessories like objective lenses, lighting fixtures, analysis software, and scanning stage options are already provided for.

It's not just about the color. After all, hyperspectral imaging has progressed from unreliable research prototypes to accurate analytical instruments whose applications have ranged from detecting the bruise in your fruit to uncovering the secrets of the universe. It is a powerful tool that remarkably illustrates the potential of science and the importance of its development and application.




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