A feasability study for a compressive sensing imager in the medium infrared for hotspot detection

In this paper, we propose an innovative concept for an optical payload for Earth Observation, which operates in the medium infrared, based on two emerging technological approaches: super-resolution and compressive sensing. The aim is to improve payload performances in terms of ground spatial resolution and mitigation of some effects, such as saturation and blooming, that are often a limit for obtaining high quality level products in many application domains, such as the detection and monitoring of fire, lava, and, more generally, hotspots. Both approaches are based on the use of a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM), an optoelectronic device consisting of an array of micro-mirrors electronically actuated. The main advantages of the proposed concept consist in: (1) increased ground spatial resolution with respect to the number of pixels of the detector used; (2) expected mitigation of the blooming and saturation effects of the single pixel when high temperature hotspots are observed; (3) compressed-format capture typical of compressive sensing, which eliminates the need for a separate compression card, saving mass, memory and energy consumption.