Hyperspectral detector systems and methods using context-image fusion

A method of performing hyperspectral detection of a scene, comprising:

• capturing a digital context image of at least a portion of the scene over a field of regard (FoR);
• capturing a spectral image of the scene over an instantaneous field of view (iFoV) with a single column of pixels of a first sensor, wherein the iFoV falls within the FoR;
• fusing the context image and the spectral image to form a fused image;
• panning the spectral image over the scene to capture one or more spectral signatures within the scene;
• comparing the one or more spectral signatures to one or more reference spectral signatures and marking one or more locations of the one or more spectral signatures within the context image;
• and
• displaying on a display in real-time the fused image and the one or more marked locations.

A hyperspectral detection system for spectrally analyzing a scene, comprising:

• a context camera operably arranged to capture a digital context image of at least a portion of the scene over a field of regard (FoR);
• an imaging spectrometer operably arranged to capture a spectral image of the scene over an instantaneous field of view (iFoV) that falls within the FoR, and wherein the IFoV is less than half of the FoR;
• means for panning the spectral image over the scene and within the FoR to capture one or more spectral signatures within the scene;
• and
• a processor that receives and fuses the context image and the spectral image to form a fused image and that is configured to compare the one or more spectral signatures to one or more reference spectral signatures and to mark one or more locations of the one or more spectral signatures within the context image.