Coastal observation using new hyperspectral imager for UAVs

Observation of coastal area is important for preserving Earth's ecosystem. In this paper, we introduce a customizable, low-cost whiskbroom hyperspectral imager (bands: 288, spectral response range: 340–820, spectral resolution: 15 nm) for UAVs. A newly developed high-performance UAV is capable of landing on the water, so that underwater measurement without sea surface reflection is possible. We investigate the characteristics of remotely sensed hyperspectral images of the east coast of the Izu Oshima, Japan. In an aerial measurement of a coastal area from a 20-m altitude, hyperspectral images with a 0.5-m spatial resolution and an 8-m swath were acquired. Gelidium and sand were classified by pattern matching using cross correlation.