MRI: Acquisition of a Hyperspectral Field Spectroradiometer to Enable Interdisciplinary Research

高光谱成像是遥感领域中一个快速发展的知识和应用领域，成为未来遥感行业员工所需要的最关键技能之一。这项主要研究仪器（MRI）拨款支持在北爱荷华大学购买便携式高光谱成像仪器，用于实验室和现场研究。北爱荷华大学是一所主要的本科生机构，致力于为所有学生提供高质量和高影响力的奖学金。FieldSpec (R)光谱仪广泛应用于许多STEM领域，包括地理信息科学，遥感，环境科学和生物学等各种应用。该仪器将对教职员工、学生、教职员工、研究人员和校园内外的学员的积极研究、教学和培训活动产生直接影响。它将加强核心科学和技术领域的课程，支持本科生和研究生获得与应用和体验式学习相关的实践经验和教育，并加强教师的能力，以促进提高他们的研究和教学质量。这个装置将促进建立一个高度跨学科的研究环境，使部门内部和部门之间的研究合作成为可能，并将增加获得外部资助的可能性。FieldSpec (R)的主要优点是它的便携性，在几乎任何环境中提供最快和最准确的测量，以及通过收集从实验室到远程现场的数百个连续光谱通道来光谱表征目标的化学和结构特性的能力。该仪器将实现：1)校准和验证实验室、航空和卫星遥感图像的最佳方法；2)快速、准确、经济高效的光谱测量，无论何时何地需要；3)利用新方法开发实验室和现场不同材料的高光谱特征库。具体而言，该设备将在图像处理、地貌/矿物学分析、城市和路面材料测绘、北极环境和冰冻圈监测、植物生理学估计和水质评估等许多核心跨学科研究领域提供高光谱成像科学的新知识发现，这将有利于学生的培训，并允许跨学科研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Hyperspectral imaging is a rapidly growing field of knowledge and application area in remote sensing, becoming one of the most critical skills needed by future employees in the remote sensing industry. This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant supports the acquisition of a portable Hyperspectral Imaging instruments for both laboratory- and field-based research at the University of Northern Iowa, a primarily undergraduate institution, that has a deep commitment to high-quality and high-impact scholarship to all students. The FieldSpec (R) Spectroradiometer instrument is widely used in many STEM fields including Geographic Information Science, Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, and Biology for various applications. This instrument will have an immediate impact on active research, teaching, and training activities by faculty, students, staff researchers, and trainees on and outside campus. It will enhance the curriculum in core science and technology areas, support undergraduate and graduate students to gain hands-on experience and education that connects to applied and experiential learning, and strengthen the ability of faculty to facilitate improved quality of their research and teaching. This device will promote the creation of a highly interdisciplinary research environment, enable intra- and inter-departmental research collaboration, and will increase the possibility of securing external funding.The major benefits of FieldSpec (R) are its portability, provision of the fastest and most accurate measurement in nearly any environment, and the capability of spectrally characterizing the chemical and structural properties of a target by collecting hundreds of contiguous spectral channels from laboratories to remote field sites. The instrument will enable: 1) the best possible approach to calibrate and validate laboratory, aerial, and satellite remote sensing images; 2) rapid, accurate, and cost-effective spectral measurements whenever and wherever it is required; and 3) development of hyperspectral signature libraries for different materials from laboratory and field settings with new approaches. Specifically, this device will provide new knowledge discovery in the science of Hyperspectral Imaging in many core interdisciplinary research areas including image processing, geomorphology/mineralogy analysis, urban and road surface materials mapping, the Arctic environments and cryosphere monitoring, plant physiology estimation, and water quality assessment, which will benefit the training of students and allow for interdisciplinary research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.