Hyperspectral projection of a coral reef scene using the NIST hyperspectral image projector

Improving the understanding of the optical scene components associated with coral reef imagery will advance the ability to map and monitor coral reefs using remote sensing. One tool that can aid in understanding the components in these scenes is the NIST Hyperspectral Image Projector (HIP). In this paper a hyperspectral scene is reformatted for projection using the HIP by first unmixing image spectra into endmembers. The abundance images representing each of the endmembers are then projected using the NIST HIP and collected by a hyperspectral imager. Since the scene is from a digital source, it can be used repeatedly without concern for changing measurement conditions. This work represents one of the first steps in developing scene projection capabilities that can be used for sensor characterization, algorithm testing or to have optical components changed independently in order to better understand the overall effects on the total observed scene.