High‐Resolution Hyperspectral Imaging Using Low‐Cost Components: Application within Environmental Monitoring Scenarios

Abstract

High‐resolution hyperspectral imaging is becoming indispensable, enabling the precise detection of spectral variations across complex, spatially intricate targets. However, despite these significant benefits, currently available high‐resolution set‐ups are typically prohibitively expen-sive, significantly limiting their user base and accessibility. These limitations can have wider impli-cations, limiting data collection opportunities, and therefore our knowledge, across a wide range of environments. In this article we introduce a low‐cost alternative to the currently available instru-mentation. This instrument provides hyperspectral datasets capable of resolving spectral variations in mm‐scale targets, that cannot typically be resolved with many existing low‐cost hyperspectral imaging alternatives. Instrument metrology is provided, and its efficacy is demonstrated within a mineralogy‐based environmental monitoring application highlighting it as a valuable addition to the field of low‐cost hyperspectral imaging.