Hyperspectral imaging captures images at hundreds of wavelengths, creating a detailed spectral signature of objects and materials. Compared to multispectral imagery, hyperspectral imagery measures energy in narrower and more numerous bands, thus giving much more information about the target.
Hyperspectral imaging is especially useful in agri-tech, where its ability to detect minor changes in the light reflected from a target can be used to form a unique spectral profile or fingerprint.
This profile can be correlated with phenotypic observations to detect and automate:
- Species identification
- Disease/pest detection even before visible symptoms appear
- Stress detection
- Productivity indices
- Non-destructive chemical analysis
At the UK Agri-Tech Centre, we offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to take your hyperspectral imaging ideas to a fully commercialised product. Our process spans from understanding system requirements and identifying potential pitfalls, to implementation, unit testing and market demonstration and commercialisation.
Test, trial and demonstrate
Yingwang Gao, Spectral Imaging Specialist at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: “At every stage of this pathway, from initial understanding to final product development, the UK Agri-Tech Centre is dedicated to fostering innovation through intelligent agriculture and growth. By integrating advanced technologies such as spectral imaging with our robust network and expertise, we are driving the future of sustainable agriculture.”
Hyperspectral imaging, together with LiDAR, was used in the UAV Tree Health project, an innovative project in partnership with Vertinetik, looking to assess tree ash dieback disease. A species classification model was created to identify ash trees among mixed-species woodland using spectral features.
Hyperspectral imaging is especially useful for early disease detection, where visible symptoms are not recognisable via traditional imaging.
The UK Agri-Tech Centre supports businesses using advanced sensors such as hyperspectral imaging in adapting their solutions to grow the agricultural sector, helping them work alongside growers to test and trial their products and deliver sustainable food security outcomes.
