Measurement campaign for hyperspectral imaging in complex illumination environments

The problem of spectral reflectance retrieval of surfaces via remote hyperspectral imaging is challenging even in benign scenarios, and becomes dramatically more difficult under complex illumination conditions. Shadows, reflections from nearby structures, and atmospheric scattering can all severely impact the observed radiance from ground-level surfaces. In order to study this problem, MIT Lincoln Laboratory recently conducted an airborne data collection experiment that included hyperspectral, laser radar, and pan-chromatic modalities. A comprehensive ground truth data set and extensive efforts directed at sensor characterization makes this data set ideal for the development of hyperspectral exploitation algorithms.