Optical differentiation between plants and background utilizing a single CCD camera

An optical image sensor means for receiving a sensed light image comprising:

• a plurality of planar sensing means located in a first plane, each of said sensing means being capable of providing an output signal that is representative of an optical frequency passband beam that impinges thereon,
• a plurality of optical filter means located in a second plane adjacent said first plane, and each of said optical filter means is located to receive one of a plurality of split optical image beams and to provide an optical frequency passband beam to only one of said sensing means,
• an optical beam-splitting means positioned to receive an optical image beam and to split said optical image beam into said plurality of split optical image beams that are each substantially identical in frequency composition and are each directed along independent paths such that each of said plurality of split optical image beams impinges upon a respective one of said optical filter means,
• wherein all of said optical filter means are positioned adjacent said optical beam-splitting means without any intervening air space between said filter means, and said optical beam-splitting means, and said optical beam-splitting means comprises a block of optically transparent material and a plurality of non-dichroic mirrors that are attached to said block without any intervening air space so that said split optical image beams are received and passed through said block to their respective optical filter means without any intervening air space.