Small Airborne Hyperspectral Wide Area Imager for Disaster Response and Earth Science

The proposed hyperspectral plus LWIR system will deliver high signal to noise performance, a wide spectral range, nominally 365 nm to 1.7 um, a single long wave IR band, low optical aberration This sensor system is designed to fit within the size, weight, and power (SWaP) envelopes of small to medium sized UAS (such as the Sierra operated by NASA Ames Research Center) and manned light aircraft (such as the Cessna 172). The system is based on an anamorphic hyperspectral imager. In addition to the UV/Vis/SWIR hyperspectral imager the system will include a single band Long Wave IR (LWIR) imager providing temperature information which is useful for a wide variety of environmental research, and extends the application of the instrument to a number of problems including disaster response, oil spill mapping and detection, and wild fire research. With this NASA SBIR proposal we will develop the system specifically for environmental research and monitoring to a TRL 8 with the final six months of the Phase II dedicated to calibration, flight tests, and development of a certified installation for light aircraft.

While the emphasis in this proposal is on coral reef mapping where the most useful spectral range is 350 to 700 nm, we propose to develop a sensor which includes spectral bands out to 1700 nm, extending the applications of the system to agricultural, forestry, and vegetation in general. Our understanding of the need for a system of this type comes through many years working with the community and providing sensors for NASA and other remote sensing organizations around the world. In addition the principle investigator works with other government agencies including the, Navy and DIA. Each of these groups has expressed a need for small, light weight, autonomous, high resolution, wide area hyperspectral imagery for a variety of civilian and military applications. For benthic and coral reef applications we intend that the system be of interest to programs and groups such as, The United States Coral Reef Task Force and EPA Region 9 Pacific Islands Office.

the proposed sensor will be useful for a variety of disaster response and earth science applications including, coral reef mapping, disaster response, oil spill mapping and detection, and wild fire research.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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