Abstract: A portable, aerial, dual-swath photogrammetric imaging system comprising twin nadir pointing CCD cameras for simultaneously acquiring twin adjacent digital images for merging into a large panorama. A pair of lens shifters symmetrically shift twin images to the left and right sides of the focal points of two parallel lenses to extend imaging swathwidth. The twin adjacent images of the imaging system have a strip of narrow overlap at the center of the whole scene that are reserved for photogrammetric processing and stitching twin images into a seamless panorama. Each camera is connected to an embedded computer which controls imaging data acquisition, attaches GPS/IMU measurements, generates KML metadata files for its snapshots, and stores acquired images and metadata into removable SSDs. Direct geo-referenced panoramic digital stills are immediately registered on to Google™ Earth precisely. Its images can be further processed for advanced mapping, change detection and GIS applications.

Abstract: A compact high-definition hyperspectral imaging system (HDHIS) for light aircraft remote sensing to perform concurrent pushbroom hyperspectral imaging and high-resolution photographic imaging. The HDHIS comprises a sensor head having a hyperspectral scanner and a CCD digital camera. An airborne computer interfaces with the sensor head to provide data acquisition including hyperspectral quick view images and control functions. An alternative embodiment includes combining the HDHIS with a computerized airborne multi-camera imaging system (CAMIS) which comprises four progressive scan (CCD) cameras attached to a set of interchangeable, interference filters, to provide a triple spectral imaging system that can be operated by one person on a light aircraft.

Abstract: A spatial resolution enhancement and dynamic range extension for a Computerized Airborne Multicamera Imaging System (CAMIS). CAMIS is a multispectral imaging system for diverse manned and unmanned aerial vehicles to fly along flexible paths and altitudes for a wide variety of applications. CAMIS comprises four spectral bands of progressive scan CCD video cameras with 782×576 square pixels each, giving a total of 1.82 million effective pixels. These cameras are synchronized and aligned in parallel with sub-pixel-accurate spatial offsets over a common field of view. A software procedure interpolates the original four-band 782×576 captures into 1564×1152 ones using a bi-linear algorithm, and then performs geometric correction and band-to-band pixel registration. The result is a more precisely registered, spatial resolution enhanced multispectral image, sized 1540(H) ×1140(V)×4(Bytes).

Abstract: A miniature, computerized component, variable interference imaging spectrometer (C2VIFIS) system for airborne remote sensing data acquisition with a two dimensional field of view. An alternating staring/scanning method is used to optimize a pushbroom hyperspectral image data set with a photogrammetric reference. Synchronized CCD-imager sensor modules or cameras are aligned to a common field of view. One imager module has a visible range variable interference filter on its surface, a second imager module has a near-infrared range variable interference filter on its surface, and a third imager module has a bandbase filter attached to the imager. Video data from the three sensor modules is digitized and recorded in real time. Further, such video data is monitored by a computer and used to control the shutter exposure of each of the three sensor imager modules. Wavelength spectral image data and directional spectral image data are acquired by a single pass over a target area.

Abstract: A spectrally-filtered, miniature, imaging spectrometer system for airborne remote sensing data acquisition with a two dimensional field of view. Synchronized CCD-imager sensor modules or cameras are aligned to a common field of view. One sensor module has a visible range variable interference filter on its surface and a second module has a near-infrared range variable interference filter on its surface. Video data from the three sensor modules is combined and recorded on a single analog or digital recorder. Futher, such video data is monitored by a computer and used to control the shutter speed of each of the three sensor modules. Wavelength spectral image data and directional spectral image data are acquired by a single pass over a target area. Post-processing of such data produces reconstructed track-recovery-images extracted from a sequence of video frames for the spectral regions of interest at a fixed column position to produce multiple bands of monochrome images.