A Low-Cost Thermal Infrared Hyperspectral Imager

Hyperspectral imaging in the thermal infrared from aircraft have used extremely large and expensive cryogenic instruments limiting the accessibility of data. We have developed a thermal infrared hyperspectral imager than takes advantage of relatrively inexpensive uncooled infrared cameras and low cost optics to enable low cost thermal hyperspectral instruments with high performance. From both groundbased and airborne platforms we have obtained hyperspectral data with various prototypes of this instrument with 10 wavenumber spectral resolution and signal to noise ratios near 1000 at spectral collection rates exceeding 7500 spectra per second. This data collection rate enables meter resolution mapping at reasonable airspeeds near 100 kt.