A video camera system for multispectral sensing

A brief description is given of a 4-band video data acquisition system designed to operate with one recorder in narrow spectral bands in the visible and near IR spectrum. It is designed to utilize four black and white solid-state cameras, a custom-built multiplexer, one 3/4 or 1/2 inch tape recorder, and a small black and white monitor. The acquired imagery can be played back as is in rapid-band sequencing for viewing or the individual bands can be displayed in 'freeze frame' mode for digitization and computer image processing. The first flight using ultricon tube (f = 8 mm) cameras at three diferent altitudes was conducted in October 1984 north of Toronto. The results given here describe digital analysis at 256 x 256 pixel resolution of two sets of 4-band video taken with 40 nm bandpass filters centered at 550 nm, 650 nm, 700 nm, and 800 nm wavelengths, one set taken at 305 m, and the other at 610 m altitude.