Optimized orthonormal system and method for reducing dimensionality of hyperspectral images

A method of hyperspectral image dimension reduction, comprising:

• receiving a hyperspectral image having a plurality of pixels;
• iteratively establishing a basis vector (BV) set comprising an initial basis vector and individual spectral vectors from the plurality of pixels that have a residual magnitude over a threshold value when a spectral vector of a current iteration is unmixed by unconstrained unmixing with a prior iteration of the BV set;
• for each of the plurality of pixels:
• reading a spectral vector from the pixel;
• and decomposing, by unconstrained unmixing, the spectral vector with the established BV set to provide a reduced dimension vector for the pixel;
• and providing a dimension reduced image comprising the reduced dimension vectors for each pixel.