Imaging Remote Sensing System

The new Bruker Hyperspectral Imaging System HI 90 is an imaging remote sensing system based on the combination of a Michelson interferometer and a focal plane array detector. Each pixel of the array records an interferogram from the corresponding field of view. A spectrum is obtained by fourier transformation and contains the infrared signature of the scene. The system allows identification, quantification and visualization of potentially hazardous gases from long distances.

The Hyperspectral Imaging System HI 90 has been developed for a wide range of applications. The method of infrared remote sensing allows the detection, identification, and quantification of an extremely wide range of relevant organic molecules in the atmosphere. Thus, applications of the HI 90 range from basic research such as atmospheric research, environmental research, and volcanology to industrial applications as well as safety and security applications.

A major field of applications of the HI 90 is homeland security. If hazardous compounds are released into the atmosphere, for example in the case of a terrorist attack or a chemical accident, emergency response forces require information about the released compounds immediately in order to take appropriate measures to protect workers, residents, and the environment. HI 90 allows identification and visualization of such hazardous clouds in the atmosphere from long distances of several kilometers (stand-off detection). The image of a cloud allows an assessment of the dimensions and the dispersion of a cloud. In addition, the source of a cloud may be located.