Abstract: Methods and apparatus for remote, passive detection of underwater objects using combined spectral and polarimetric imaging. In one example, a tunable multi-band spectro-polarimeter includes an imaging detector array that receives electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene, a plurality of tunable spectral filters configured to filter the electromagnetic radiation into at least first and second spectral bands, and a plurality of polarization filters configured to filter each of the first and second spectral bands into at least two different polarization states, a first region of the detector array receiving the first spectral band and producing first polarimetric image data, and a second region of the detector array simultaneously receiving the second spectral band and producing second polarimetric image data, and a controller that receives and processes the first and second polarimetric image data to detect a target object in the viewed scene.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for remote, passive detection of underwater objects using combined spectral and polarimetric imaging. In one example, a tunable multi-band spectro-polarimeter includes an imaging detector array that receives electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene, a plurality of tunable spectral filters configured to filter the electromagnetic radiation into at least first and second spectral bands, and a plurality of polarization filters configured to filter each of the first and second spectral bands into at least two different polarization states, a first region of the detector array receiving the first spectral band and producing first polarimetric image data, and a second region of the detector array simultaneously receiving the second spectral band and producing second polarimetric image data, and a controller that receives and processes the first and second polarimetric image data to detect a target object in the viewed scene.

Abstract: The Hyperspectral Imaging Method and Apparatus provides the means of locating materials of economic and military value and accurately determining their spatial location and extent. The identification of a material is made by comparing its surface spectral reflectance properties in a scene with a set of reference template spectra. If there is enough spectral difference between materials of interest such as, for example, camouflage and vegetation or healthy and blighted corn, a detection will be made. The determination of spatial location and extent is may by the rapid collection of spectral measurements (nominally tens of thousands per second) in the form of an image and the reference of this image with GPS position to very high accuracy. Target identification and geolocation is computed in near realtime or realtime.