VIS / SWIR HyperSpectral Imaging
The above video shows the scanning/acquisition of images through a selected range of VIS + NIR wavelengths. Once a dataset is acquired, it can be used to create a photorealistic RGB image (as shown in the above gallery). Spectral information from the ENVI-compatible datacube is readily available for analysis, classification and/or segmentation.
Hyperspectral Imaging technology enables the acquisition and analysis of images that reveal the spectral distribution of light that is collected at each pixel site within an image. In H.S.I., both spectral and spatial information about a sample are obtained. It is analogous to having spectrometric data for each pixel in an image.
A hyperspectral image is a set of image layers, with each layer representing the spatial intensity distribution at a particular wavelength. This data can be represented as a λ-axis that is orthogonal to the conventional (x,y) axes used to spatially represent image data. The combination of all the acquired spectral layers is called a hyperspectral data cube.
Several different methods can be used to produce hyperspectral image datacubes, each representing a particular tradeoff. Each applies different techniques to spectrally filter the light and capture the spatial and spectral image data. Each of the different methods of acquiring hyperspectral image datacubes emphasizes one or more of the following key differentiators:
- acquisition speed – the time required to capture the hyperspectral data cube
- snapshot capability – the ability to acquire a hyperspectral image, without scanning
- spatial resolution – the size of the pixel array, similar to regular photography
- spectral resolution – the number of frequency bands (or layers) each hyperspectral image contains.
The cameras described on this page employ imec's proprietary technology in which 10~15nm FWHM Fabry-Perot band-pass spectral filters are deposited on each pixel of a VNIR (Visible + NIR) CMOS -or- SWIR InGaAs imager. Two different types of cameras, both based on imec's Hyperspectral Imaging technology, are described on this page:
imec Snapscan technology - ideal for research environments, this is a spectral-scanning method which achieves the highest spectral and spatial resolution. The tradeoff is that it can take a few seconds to scan through a range of wavelengths.
imec Snapshot technology - ideal for deployment in high-throughput production environments as well as for vehicle-mounted applications (including UAVs), this method prioritizes acquisition speed. The tradeoff for achieving spectral data at real-time video rates is that it collects data at selected wavelengths and that its spatial resolution is lower than that of a scanning system.
For more information about the above technology options please click on the tabs below. To review the different models of Snapscan and Snapshot that are available, please scroll further down on this page.
Snapscan Cameras
lmec’s Snapscan [VNIR or SWIR] high resolution hyperspectral camera technology is a major breakthrough for hyperspectral imaging application research. A high quality hypercube data is created within a few seconds with high signal-to-noise ratio and unmatched spatial and spectral resolution. While the Snapscan kit enables application research of the highest quality, it is user-friendly since it does not require an external scanning system. It integrates all key components required: the spectral image sensor, optics, illumination and imec’s hyperspectral imaging software: HSI Snapscan.


Snapscan selection table
Click on a green button within the above table to get more details about a particular camera model.
Snapshot Cameras
lmec’s Snapshot [VIS, RedNIR, NIR or SWIR] range spectral imaging cameras offer a simple, fast and easy solution for the video-rate acquisition of spectral images of sample materials and their subsequent analysis.
Snapshot cameras are robust enough for lab operation as well as for use in the field, on fixed or movable platforms including UAVs.
Videos: selected applications of imec's Snapshot cameras
The video above shows the application of Snapshot cameras in generating real-time oxygenation maps during surgery. A Snapshot camera with a 4x4 mosaic was used to reconstruct Hb/HbO/HBT maps from images taken during brain surgery on an epileptic patient. Images are courtesy of Polytechnique Montreal.
The video above shows that Snapshot cameras can be used for spectral imaging at video rates. As the leaf is moved in the video, spectral data is acquired and analyzed in real-time. The technology represented in Snapshot cameras is ideally suited for applications in which spectral discrimination and classification must be performed at video rate. While there is a tradeoff in spatial and spectral resolution as compared with Snapscan technology, Snapshot is the technology of choice for spectral imaging applications requiring high-throughput or for imaging from moving platforms, including UAVs.
Snapshot selection table
Click on a green button within the above table to get more details about a particular camera model.