Multi- and Hyperspectral Imaging

Multi- and hyperspectral (MS and HS) imaging are currently deployed at a wide range of spatial dimensions (“scales”), ranging from satellites observing the Earth and other planets down to lab-scale sensing for small sample spectral analysis. New techniques such as UAS-borne imaging or terrestrial scanning of vertical targets are emerging and allow to observe any target at a wide and contiguous range of scales. Deploying spectral imaging on unmanned aerial platforms or drones creates one of the most promising application fields of spectral imaging in the last decade. Lightweight, low-cost, customizable and usable by anyone and nearly anywhere, UAS close the scale gap between airborne and ground-based spectroscopy and offer individual solutions for the respective application. The following chapter will give an insight on the principles of multi- and hyperspectral imaging that are required to understand the physical nature of spectroscopic processes as well as sensor-specific and external influence factors during the acquisition of spectral data. In later sections, the state of the art on drone-borne multi-and hyperspectral sensors, common and application-specific data correction and processing workflows are given to outline remaining challenges.