Headwall Photonics announced the introduction of the Hyperspec SNAPSHOT imaging sensor which has been designed for commercial use by environmental researchers, civil engineers, and remote sensing organizations.

The Hyperspec Snapshot sensor covers the VNIR spectral range (380-1000nm) and uses diffractive optics technology comprising aberration-corrected features for high spectral and spatial resolution and outstanding signal-to-noise (SNR) characteristics. This commercial product is based on Headwall's Hyperspec RECON sensor which is sold to U.S. military and defense customers.

The Hyperspec Snapshot sensor is the industry's first portable hyperspectral imager generating very high resolution spectral and spatial datacubes of objects within the sensor's wide field of view (FOV).

This high performance, integrated sensor is a small form factor, fully integrated instrument designed for easy, straightforward use in the field. By engineering the optical complexities out of the instrument, the sensor provides point and click functionality where scene data is shown on the sensor's LCD screen and recorded on a standard SD-card.

Headwall CEO David Bannon commented on the innovation provided by the Hyperspec Snapshot imager: "Headwall designed this commercial sensor based on the work that went into the Hyperspec RECON military sensor, which was built for reconnaissance applications." Hyperspec Snapshot and RECON are fundamentally similar, allowing for the detection of specific spectral targets at long distances within a durable, portable, and easy to use instrument.

"The true innovation is the small size of the sensor coupled with its ease of use," noted Bannon. "We engineered the complexity out so the sensor becomes a very useful instrument for a wide range of applications and users that extend beyond military reconnaissance missions."

Hyperspec SNAPSHOT can be ordered directly from Headwall or any worldwide distributor partners.