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Estimation of the total column water vapor (CWV) content of the atmosphere plays an important role in the atmospheric compensation (AC) of remotely sensed hyperspectral images collected in the visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectral range. Most of the proposed CWV retrieval methods provide accurate estimates as long as other significant atmospheric parameters are known. Those parameters are not generally available and must in turn be estimated. In this article, a new approach based on deep learning is proposed that allows the estimation of CWV without the knowledge of the atmospheric visibility, the solar zenith angle, and the atmospheric point spread function (PSF). The proposed approach includes a training strategy based on synthetic data that are generated according to an accurate radiative-transfer model, and by exploiting reflectance spectral libraries and the MODTRAN radiative-transfer code. Experiments on simulated data are carried out to analyze the performance of the proposed deep neural network with reference to both aerial and satellite applications. Furthermore, an example of the results provided by the network in a real application is shown. For this purpose, the network is applied to data acquired by an airborne hyperspectral sensor operating in the VNIR spectral range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter presents a new method to detect materials with known spectral emissivity in data acquired by longwave infrared hyperspectral sensors. The proposed approach differs from existing methods because it takes into account the uncertainty of the downwelling radiance. Such uncertainty is addressed assuming that the downwelling radiance spans a low-rank subspace whose basis matrix is learned, regardless of the analyzed image, from MODTRAN simulated spectra. The analysis, carried out over data simulated by considering different atmospheric conditions, surface temperatures, and emissivity spectra, shows the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with atmospheric correction in hyperspectral data acquired in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral range. Atmospheric compensation (AC) is approached from a new perspective in that it is reformulated as an estimation problem on a low-rank subspace. Specifically, a subspace-based model is exploited to represent both the atmospheric transmittance and the upwelling radiance. Taking into account the inherent correlation between these two quantities, we adopt a subspace model that constrains them to vary in a physically consistent way. Exploiting such a model, AC is formulated as a nonlinear least-squares estimation problem. An automatic procedure is proposed to estimate the unknown parameters, which is based only on the image analysis and does not need any atmospheric measurements. Results of an extensive experimental analysis carried out on simulated data are used to discuss the performance of the algorithm with respect to different atmospheric conditions. Finally, experimental evidence over a real LWIR hyperspectral image is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the temperature and emissivity separation (TES) problem from hyperspectral data acquired in the long-wave infrared region (LWIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum. We derive a general class of TES algorithms [subspace-based TES (SBTES)] relying on the assumption that the emissivity spectra of natural and man-made materials can be well represented in a given subspace of the original data space. Specifically, by exploiting the subspace representation and the Gaussian model for the noise affecting LWIR hyperspectral data, we approach TES under a statistical perspective by obtaining the maximum likelihood estimates of both the temperature and the spectral emissivity. The proposed approach originates several algorithms whose specific form depends on the particular basis matrix adopted to address the emissivity subspace. We study the performance of the presented class of algorithms and derive theoretical bounds on the accuracy of the temperature and emissivity estimators. Furthermore, by specifying two basis matrices for the emissivity subspace, we propose two different algorithms within the SBTES class. Finally, we present the results of an extensive experimental analysis carried out over simulated data to assess and compare the performance of the two presented algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of atmospheric column water vapor concentration is crucial for compensating water absorption effects in remote sensing data. Several algorithms for the estimation of such a parameter were proposed in the past. One of the most effective algorithms is the atmospheric precorrected differential absorption (APDA) technique. APDA relies on a simplified radiative transfer model (RTM) that does not account for the spatial variability of the adjacency effects. In this paper, we study the impact of the simplified RTM assumption on the performance of the algorithm by exploiting a more realistic and well-established RTM. Starting from such a model, we derive a new water retrieval algorithm called low-rank subspace projection-based water estimator. It exploits the high degree of spectral correlation experienced in the reflectances of most of the existing materials. An extensive experimental analysis is carried out on simulated data in order to assess and compare the performance of the two algorithms. Simulation results allow the critical analysis of the two algorithms by highlighting their strengths and drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of hyperspectral image processing, anomaly detection (AD) is a deeply investigated task whose goal is to find objects in the image that are anomalous with respect to the background. In many operational scenarios, detection, classification and identification of anomalous spectral pixels have to be performed in real time to quickly furnish information for decision-making. In this framework, many studies concern the design of computationally efficient AD algorithms for hyperspectral images in order to assure real-time or nearly real-time processing. In this work, a sub-class of anomaly detection algorithms is considered, i.e., those algorithms aimed at detecting small rare objects that are anomalous with respect to their local background. Among such techniques, one of the most established is the Reed-Xiaoli (RX) algorithm, which is based on a local Gaussian assumption for background clutter and locally estimates its parameters by means of the pixels inside a window around the pixel under test (PUT). In the literature, the RX decision rule has been employed to develop computationally efficient algorithms tested in real-time systems. Initially, a recursive block-based parameter estimation procedure was adopted that makes the RX processing and the detection performance differ from those of the original RX. More recently, an update strategy has been proposed which relies on a line-by-line processing without altering the RX detection statistic. In this work, the above-mentioned RX real-time oriented techniques have been improved using a linear algebra-based strategy to efficiently update the inverse covariance matrix thus avoiding its computation and inversion for each pixel of the hyperspectral image. The proposed strategy has been deeply discussed pointing out the benefits introduced on the two analyzed architectures in terms of overall number of elementary operations required. The results show the benefits of the new strategy with respect to the original architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) property of the RX anomaly detector which is widely used for the analysis of hyperspectral data. The RX detector relies on an adaptive scheme where the mean vector and the covariance matrix of the background are locally estimated from the image pixels themselves. First, demeaning is accomplished by removing the estimated local background mean value, and then, the covariance matrix is estimated in a homogeneous neighborhood of each pixel. In principle, if the local mean is perfectly removed and the covariance matrix is estimated from background pixels sharing the same covariance matrix, the RX algorithm has the CFAR property, which is highly desirable in practical applications. The CFAR behavior of the algorithm also requires the spatial stationarity of the random noise affecting the hyperspectral image. In data collected by new-generation sensors, such an assumption is not valid because photon noise contribution, which depends on the spatially varying signal level, is not negligible. This has motivated us to analyze the behavior of the RX algorithm with respect to the CFAR property in data affected by signal-dependent (SD) noise. In this paper, we show both theoretically and experimentally that the SD noise is one of the causes of the non-CFAR behavior of the RX detector that we have experienced in many practical situations. We propose a strategy to enhance the robustness of the anomaly detection scheme with respect to the CFAR property based on an adaptive nonlinear transform aimed at reducing the dependence of the noise on the signal level. Experiments on simulated data and real data collected by a new hyperspectral camera are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anomaly detection (AD) from remotely sensed multi-hyperspectral images is a powerful tool in many applications, such as strategic surveillance and search and rescue operations. In a typical operational scenario, an airborne hyperspectral sensor searches a wide area to identify regions that may contain potential targets. These regions typically cue higher spatial-resolution sensors to provide target recognition and identification. While this procedure is mostly automated, an on-board operator is generally assigned to examine in real time the AD output and select the regions of interest to be sent for cueing. Real-time enhancement of local anomalies in images of the over flown scene can be presented to the operator to facilitate the decision-making process. Within this framework, one of the ultimate research interests is undoubtedly the design of complexity-aware AD algorithm architectures capable of assuring real-time or nearly real-time in-flight processing and prompt decision making. Among the different AD algorithms developed, this work focuses on those AD algorithms aimed at detecting small rare objects that are anomalous with respect to their local background. One of such algorithms, called RX algorithm, is based on a local Gaussian assumption for background and locally estimates its parameters from each pixel local neighborhood. RX has been recognized to be the benchmark AD algorithm for detecting local anomalies in multi-hyperspectral images. RX decision rule has been employed to develop computationally efficient algorithms tested in real-time operating systems. These algorithms rely upon a recursive block-based parameter estimation procedure that makes their processing and, in turn, their detection performance differ from those of original RX. In this paper, a complexity-aware algorithm architecture fully adaptable to real-time processing is presented that allows the computational load to be reduced with respect to original RX, while strictly following its original formulation and thus assuring the same detection performance. An experimental study is presented that analyzes in detail the complexity reduction, in terms of number of elementary operations, offered by the proposed architecture with respect to original RX. A real hyperspectral image of a scene with deployed targets has been employed to perform a case-study analysis of the complexity reduction to be experienced in different operational scenarios. The real data are also adopted to illustrate a possible strategy for on-board line-by-line enhanced visualization of anomalies for decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthogonal subspace projection (OSP) is a powerful tool for dimensionality reduction (DR) in hyperspectral images (HSIs). In the OSP approach, the basis of the signal subspace must be estimated from the data themselves. Such estimation task is referred to as signal subspace identification (SSI). Most of the SSI methods in the literature are based on the analysis of the data second-order statistics (SOS) and have two main drawbacks: 1) They do not take into account the rare signal components (or rare vectors), 2) they assume that noise is spatially stationary. Rare vectors are those signal components that are present in pixels scarcely represented in the image and linearly independent on the signal components characterizing the rest of the image pixels. SOS-based SSI algorithms estimate the signal subspace addressing mostly the background and ignoring the presence of the rare pixels. This may be detrimental for the performance of detection algorithms when DR is adopted as a pre-processing step in small target detection applications. In this paper, a new technique for SSI in HSIs is presented. The algorithm is developed to account for both the abundant and the rare signal components. The method is derived by assuming a signal-dependent model for the noise affecting the data. This makes the SSI algorithm particularly suitable for the processing of images acquired by new generation sensors where, due to the improved sensitivity of the electronic components, noise includes a signal-dependent term. Results on simulated data are discussed, and the comparison with a recently proposed technique based on the analysis of SOS is performed. Furthermore, the results obtained by applying the SSI algorithm to a real HSI affected by signal-dependent noise are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new algorithm for striping noise reduction in hyperspectral images is proposed. The new algorithm exploits the orthogonal subspace approach to estimate the striping component and to remove it from the image, preserving the useful signal. The algorithm does not introduce artifacts in the data and also takes into account the dependence on the signal intensity of the striping component. The effectiveness of the algorithm in reducing striping noise is experimentally demonstrated on real data acquired both by airborne and satellite hyperspectral sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem of signal subspace estimation for dimensionality reduction (DR) in hyperspectral images in the presence of rare pixels, i.e., pixels that are scarcely represented in the image and containing spectral components that are linearly independent of the background. Most of the classical methods proposed in the literature are based on the analysis second-order statistics (SOS), which are weakly influenced by the rare signals. Therefore, such techniques estimate the signal subspace addressing mostly the background and ignoring the presence of rare pixels. This may reduce the target/background spectral contrast, thus decreasing the detection performance when DR is adopted as preprocessing task in small-target detection applications. In this paper, a new robust algorithm, namely, robust signal subspace estimation (RSSE), is developed, which preserves both abundant and rare signal components. It combines the analysis of SOS and a recent approach based on the analysis of the l2∞ norm. The novel contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the RSSE algorithm is presented, which includes a new iterative procedure to derive the signal subspace and an original statistical method to estimate the data dimensionality. Second, an ad simulation strategy is proposed to assess the performance of signal subspace estimation methods in the presence of rare signal components. The procedure is adopted to compare the RSSE algorithm with a classical technique based on the analysis of SOS. The results obtained by applying the two methods on a real Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer hyperspectral image also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared search and track (IRST) systems based on 3-D velocity filters are quite sensitive to the random motion that remains after egomotion compensation has occurred (jitter). These systems are designed to detect small targets at long range and they often employ track-before-detect (TBD) strategies to integrate the target signal along consecutive frames. Jitter causes frame misalignment and leads to a reduction of the detection performance. We analyze the effects of jitter on the false alarm and detection probabilities and on the detection range. The analytical expressions here derived are a valuable tool both in the analysis and synthesis of IRST systems based on 3-D velocity filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of full pixel target detection (FPTD) in hyperspectral images assuming that the target spectral signature is known is considered. Most of the detection algorithms proposed in the literature for FPTD have been derived from the additive model (AM) assumption. Since the AM is not appropriate to describe the FPTD problem, we resort to the more realistic replacement target model (RTM). It exploits the fact that in FPTD problems the target completely fills the image pixel obscuring or replacing the background. The derivation of an RTM-based detection strategy is one of the original contributions of this work. It is assumed that both the background and the target classes are characterised by the Gaussian model and that the two classes share the same covariance matrix. Assuming that both the background mean vector and the covariance matrix are unknown, the fully adaptive detector (FAD) is derived. It is shown that the performances of the FAD in typical operating conditions can be approximated by those of the adaptive detector (AD) derived by assuming that the background mean vector is known. The AD is theoretically analysed, its performances are derived and its CFAR behaviour is demonstrated. It is also stated that, in practice, the AD design methodology can be adopted to design FAD automatic target detectors. This issue is proved by simulation in a case study in which the model parameters are estimated from a hyperspectral dataset acquired by the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new algorithm is presented for the detection of airborne targets by means of infrared sensors operating in naval surveillance scenarios. The proposed algorithm consists of two steps: background clutter removal and detection over the residual clutter. The algorithm is fully automatic and its implementation does not require the tuning of any parameter other than the threshold for setting the probability of false alarm. The algorithm performance is investigated by means of a sequence of experimental IR images taken in a typical maritime environment. The results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms a standard detection algorithm specifically tailored to the analysed scenario. A statistical analysis of the experimental data is also performed to validate the hypotheses used to derive the detection algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]