A spectral imager provides a 3-D data cube in which the spatial information (2-D) of the image is complemented by spectral information (1-D) about each spatial location. Typically, these systems are operated in a fully-determined (or overdetermined) manner so that the measurements can be computationally inverted into a reliable estimate of the source. We propose a notional system design that is highly underdetermined, yet still computationally invertable. This approach relies on recently-developed concepts in compressive sensing. Because the number of required measurements is greatly reduced from traditional designs, the result is a faster and more economical sensor system.

Date Published: 12 May 2006
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 6246, Visual Information Processing XV, 62460A (12 May 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.667605

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6246:
Visual Information Processing XV
Zia-ur Rahman; Stephen E. Reichenbach; Mark A. Neifeld, Editor(s)