Headwall-Alava Remote Sensing Solution Takes Wing Aboard Ultralight Aircraft


Airborne Hyperspectral Sensors Measure Interface Between Air and Water In Switzerland & Russia

Fitchburg, Massachusetts USA- Using the Headwall Photonics Micro-Hyperspec VNIR sensor, Headwall's integration partner Alava Ingenieros (Madrid, Spain) will provide the worldwide scientific community with a completely integrated airborne remote sensing solution that is currently being deployed. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland) is sponsoring an exploration program featuring a sensor-packed ultralight aircraft that will analyze the phenomena occurring at the interface between air and water. Flights are underway now over Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and will be repeated over Lake Baikal in Russia later this year. The airborne technology will allow scientists to gather a wealth of data around bacteria, sediments, and dissolved gasses. While satellites can analyze these variables now, low-flying ultralight aircraft can collect this data more precisely and put it into the hands of researchers sooner. Because Micro Hyperspec is exceptionally small and light, EPFL plans to eventually migrate to even smaller and lighter UAVs.

Micro-Hyperspec® is the industry's only remote sensing instrument specifically designed for high resolution spectral and spatial imaging aboard small, tactical airborne vehicles. It provides excellent spatial and spectral resolution and a wide field of view, meaning a more efficient flight path over areas of interest. Alava is packaging Micro-Hyperspec with the software needed to handle radiometric calibration, flight data acquisition, ground data acquisition, atmospheric correction, and post-processing of the hyperspectral data. The Airborne Remote Sensing Spectral Solution (ARS3) is available from Headwall and Alava now.

David Bannon, CEO of Headwall, commented on the value of hyperspectral sensing from airborne platforms: "ARS3 is a very high performance - yet affordable - sensor solution for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned aircraft. Alava has integrated a complete airborne solution around the market leading Micro-Hyperspec sensor which meets the demanding requirements of hyperspectral imaging in harsh environments."

Thanks to Headwall's innovative and pioneering sensor designs, remote sensing from the air using hyperspectral imaging is a fast-growing field of research. Because hyperspectral technology is more precise and more affordable than ever, it can be used for forestry management, precision agriculture, pollution control, resource exploration, and more.

About Headwall

Headwall, based in Fitchburg, Massachusetts (USA), is a leading designer and manufacturer of hyperspectral instruments for industrial, commercial, remote sensing, precision agriculture, and government markets. Other application areas include medical and biotechnology, forensics, chemicals, and color measurement, and in-line process inspection. Headwall enjoys a market leadership position through the design and manufacture of spectral instrumentation that is customized for application-specific performance, for end users and OEMs.

For information contact:

Mr. Chris Van Veen

Headwall Photonics, Inc.

Tel: +1 978-353-4051

Email: cvanveen@headwallphotonics.com

Web site: www.headwallphotonics.com

About EPFL

The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPFL is Europe's most cosmopolitan technical university. It receives students, professors and staff from over 120 nationalities. With both a Swiss and international calling, it is therefore guided by a constant wish to open up; its missions of teaching, research and partnership impact various circles: universities and engineering schools, developing and emerging countries, secondary schools and gymnasiums, industry and economy, political circles and the general public.

Web site: http://www.epfl.ch/index.en.html

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