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Remote sensing has been taken to new
heights given the work of Opto-Knowledge Systems, Inc. (OKSI),
of Torrance, California. Through a Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) award from Goddard Space Flight Center, the company,
with the support of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the collaborating
Research Institute subcontractor, has pushed the frontier of
neural network technology for very fast analysis of hyperspectral
imagery. The company is also honing the technology of spectral
imaging for commercial applications in agriculture, geology,
medical diagnosis, manufacturing, and other fields.
The product of a spectral imaging system is a stack of images
of the same object or scene, each at a different spectral narrow
band, or color. To take full advantage of a hyperspectral system,
components must be carefully integrated. Furthermore, special
algorithmic tools are needed to analyze and visualize data collected,
integrating the entire system into a smoothly functioning instrument.
OKSI has made possible turnkey bench top hyperspectral systems
for field or laboratory use. Applications of its hyperspectral
camera technology include remote sensing in agriculture, geology,
and for military needs, produce and meat inspection, and forensics.
Since its establishment in 1991, OKSI has built custom imaging
spectrometers in the visible/near infrared and mid-wave infrared
portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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OptoKnowledge
Systems, Inc.'s hyperspectral imaging system can be used in applications
such as food inspection. |
OKSI's Spectral Imaging System is commercially available,
with the hardware custom configured for the end-user's needs
and requirements. Under Goddard's STTR project, OKSI furthered
the advancement in spectral imaging, resulting in several commercial
products. Such products include a turnkey bench top hyperspectral
imaging system, containing everything the user needs to start
applying hyperspectral imaging. The system incorporates the sensor,
optics, computer interface, and a versatile hyperspectral analysis
software package.
A system sold to a major automobile manufacturer, for example,
uses two cameras for stereo imaging and features customized parts
and software.
OKSI participated in NASA's Visiting Investigator Program
(VIP) under the Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office at Stennis
Space Center. This effort assessed the suitability of thermal
infrared imaging data for the remote detection of pollutants
and hazardous substances. Stennis remote sensing and OKSI experts
worked together to collect data from an aircraft-carried instrument
that flew over various areas, including oil refineries and industrial,
residential, and agricultural sites. The data were then analyzed,
and ground temperature and emissivity maps were generated. Such
maps are fundamental requirements for airborne remote detection
of pollutants, either in the atmosphere or in the ground, because
their spectral signatures are measured against the Earth's background.
As part of this effort, OKSI acquired the spectra of the 189
most hazardous air pollutants as defined by the Clean Air Act
Amendment of 1992 and listed by the Environmental Protection
Agency. The high-resolution spectra obtained were then processed
to demonstrate the capability of a prototype Thermal Infrared
Imaging Spectrometer sensor to detect such gases.
OKSI is continuing its work with Stennis. In September 1998,
OKSI was selected by Stennis for a 2-year program to demonstrate
the use of hyperspectral data in precision agriculture.
This type of research work carried out by OKSI is assisting
NASA in developing a suite of airborne and satellite remote sensing
applications to study the oceans, biosphere, atmosphere, and
land surface. Through the use of algorithmic techniques and data
processing, furthered by OKSI's expertise, new ways to assess
the health and well-being of the Earth are possible, as are various
commercial applications, from resource monitoring to medical
diagnosis.
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