Ocean Optics Spectrometers Measure Vegetation From the Ground and the Air

MUMBAI, October 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Important Note: This press release is only meant for the Indian market. Any release outside India is not authorized.    

A pair of super-lightweight miniature spectrometers from Ocean Optics is helping researchers investigate plant parameters in a verdant patch of New Zealand grassland. The compact STS model spectrometers, one deployed as a ground unit and the other aboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), are making synchronised hyper spectral measurements of barley and sugar beet crops to assess plant characteristics for more effective crop management.

Photo: http://www.halmapr.com/oo/STSUAV.jpg

A multinational team of researchers from Germany, Italy, Spain and New Zealand developed the UAV-based system and conducted the initial experiments, gathering high-resolution reflectance spectra from the UAV at altitudes of up to 200 meters and irradiance spectra from the ground-based spectrometer. According to team leader Andreas Burkart of the Research Center Jülich IBG 2 Plant Sciences, Germany, collection of hyper-spectral data by field spectroscopy is a time-consuming task and often is restricted to easily accessible areas. The small size and weight of the STS spectrometer is ideal for use on the UAV, which allows a series of fast and reproducible measurements over any terrain, even forest or marsh. By measuring various segments across a section of the New Zealand pastureland, the system was able to assess information such as specific plots that contained live vegetation. The STS is a remarkably small CMOS detector-based spectrometer that is less than 2 inches square (40 mm x 42 mm) and weighs a little over 2 ounces (68g). It performs comparably to larger systems, providing full spectral analysis with low stray light, high signal to noise (>1500:1) and excellent optical resolution. For the application described here, the researchers were able to match the performance of the STS to that of a larger, more expensive commercially available field portable spectrometer, with optical resolution of ~2.5 nm (FWHM).

To learn more, visit http://www.OceanOptics.com, or contact an Ocean Optics Applications Scientist at +31-26-3190500 or [email protected].

For enquiries, contact Daniëlle Ravenshorst at Tel: +31-(0)26-3190500

About Ocean Optics:

Ocean Optics is a leading supplier of solutions for optical sensing - fundamental methods of measuring and interpreting the interaction of light with matter. With locations in the United States, Asia and Europe, the company has sold more than 200,000 spectrometers worldwide since 1989. Ocean Optics' extensive line of complementary technologies includes chemical sensors, analytical instrumentation, optical fibres, thin films and optics. The company is a part of the Halma group of safety and detection companies.

View Ocean Optic's press release archive at: http://www.halmapr.com/news/oceanoptics/

About Halma   

Halma, the leading safety, health and environmental technology group is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange and has over 4000 employees in 40 subsidiaries worldwide. Halma's subsidiaries make products that protect lives and improve the quality of life for people through innovation in market leading products, which make its customers safer, more competitive and more profitable. These subsidiaries are assisting India's economy in areas such as energy, manufacturing, healthcare, water and waste treatment, construction and transport. Halma has a hub office in Mumbai.

Media Contact: Sunil Balan, [email protected], +91-7738161211, Marketing Manager, Halma India