Miniaturized hyperspectral imager calibration and UAV flight campaigns

Abstract

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed Tunable Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) based miniaturized hyperspectral imager which can be operated from light weight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The concept of the hyperspectral imager has been published in the SPIE Proc. 7474, 8174 and 8374. This instrument requires dedicated laboratory and on-board calibration procedures which are described. During summer 2012 extensive UAV Hyperspectral imaging campaigns in the wavelength range 400 - 900 nm at resolution range 10 - 40 nm @ FWHM were performed to study forest inventory, crop biomass and nitrogen distributions and environmental status of natural water applications. The instrument includes spectral band limiting filters which can be used for the on-board wavelength scale calibration by scanning the FPI pass band center wavelength through the low and high edge of the operational wavelength band. The procedure and results of the calibration tests will be presented. A short summary of the performed extensive UAV imaging campaign during summer 2012 will be presented.