Advanced machine learning models and methods for hyperspectral imagery processing and analysis

高光谱成像利用数百个窄带连续光谱图像记录地球表面的反射辐射，可为识别和区分光谱相似物质提供丰富的信息，已成为政府机构、研究机构和商业公司在各种资源和环境应用中识别材料和绘制表面性质的重要工具。然而，由于高光谱图像数据量大、固有的高维性、空间光谱异质性和噪声效应，如何高效、准确地将高光谱图像转化为高附加值信息，对操作用户和科研人员来说是一个重大挑战。因此，对大容量复杂HSI进行计算机辅助处理和分析的新模型和方法可以显著提高有价值的地球化学、生物化学和生物物理变量的量化，从而改善自然资源管理和环境监测。

Hyperspectral imaging, which records the reflected radiation from the earth surface using hundreds of narrow and contiguous spectral image bands, can provide rich information for identifying and distinguishing spectrally similar materials, and has become an essential tool leveraged by government agencies, research institutions and commercial companies to discern materials and map surface properties in various resource and environment applications. Nevertheless, due to the large data volume, the innate high-dimensionality, spatial-spectral heterogeneities and the noise effect of hyperspectral image (HSI), there are significant challenges for operational users and research scientists to efficiently and accurately transform HSI into value-added information. Therefore, novel models and methods for computer-aided processing and analysis of the large-volume complex HSI can significantly improve the quantification of valuable geochemical, biochemical and biophysical variables, and thereby improve natural resource management and environment monitoring. The proposed research program aims to develop novel intelligent models and computational methods for hyperspectral image processing and analysis. The following objectives will be investigated: 1) a novel spectral unmixing based HSI representation framework with strong modeling capacity and efficient optimization approach, capable of fully addressing various key characteristics of HSI, and disentangling the underlying explanatory factors in HSI for supporting the development of enhanced task-specific algorithms, 2) highly accurate and efficient algorithms tailored to different HSI processing tasks (e.g., denoising, super-resolution, feature extraction, classification, unmixing, end-member extraction, sub-pixel mapping) to enable full exploration of the potential of HSI, 3) advanced HSI software tools leveraging the optimized image processing algorithms to facilitate the development of data processing workflows, pipelines and analytic solutions to key HSI applications for mining value-added information in HSI. The proposed research program will improve the current state-of-the-arts in HSI modeling theories, algorithms and software tools, and thus advance new capabilities in environment monitoring, assessment and protection, as well as natural resource management and exploration. Moreover, HQP will be trained in hyperspectral image processing and analysis, remote sensing, computer vision and artificial intelligence within a multidisciplinary environment, making them in high demand in the billion dollar job market, and enabling them to find relevant, leadership opportunities in Canadian industry, government and academia.