Hyperspectral Sharpening Approaches Using Satellite Multiplatform Data

The use of hyperspectral (HS) data is growing over the years, thanks to the very high spectral resolution. However, HS data are still characterized by a spatial resolution that is too low for several applications, thus motivating the design of fusion techniques aimed to sharpen HS images with high spatial resolution data. To reach a significant resolution enhancement, high-resolution images should be acquired by different satellite platforms. In this article, we highlight the pros and cons of employing real multiplatform data, using the EO-1 satellite as an exemplary case. The spatial resolution of the HS data collected by the Hyperion sensor is improved by exploiting both the ALI panchromatic image collected from the same platform and acquisitions from the WorldView-3 and the QuickBird satellites. Furthermore, we tackle the problem of assessing the final quality of the fused product at the nominal resolution, which presents further difficulties in this general environment. Useful indications for the design of an effective sharpening method in this case are finally outlined.