Instrumentation

Vicarious calibration and field validation is a critical aspect of any Earth observing system program. As part of calibration and validation research related to this project, the Remote Sensing Group (RSG) of the Optical Science Center at the University of Arizona is involved in instrumentation design and research for use in the vicarious calibration of various earth-observing sensors including both airborne and space based systems. The RSG is continuously refining and updating lab and field instrumentation to increase the accuracy and ease of use. The majority of the instruments used by the RSG are used in the field as described in the sensor-calibration and resource sections to accurately collect atmospheric and surface reflectance data. The main instruments used in the collection of field data include instruments designed and built by the RSG (such the Automated Solar Radiometers) and those that are purchased commercially from various vendors (like an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) FieldSpec spectral radiometer). The RSG also builds instruments for the lab calibration of field instruments (such as the SWIR transfer radiometer). In addition, some of the instruments designed by the RSG have been built under contract for other research entities for use in their own field and lab calibration systems.

Current projects include the modeling, design and fabrication of a VNIR transfer radiometer, a SWIR transfer radiometer, an updated ASR, a Hugon Spectrometer, LED radiometers, a Reflectometer, and a Micro-pulse Lidar.

Past projects include several generations of ASRs, an instrument to measure the Diffuse-to-Global ratio of atmospheric irradiance, a BRDF camera system, a VNIR transfer radiometer, a SWIR transfer radiometer, a first generation Reflectometer, a Sky Monitor Package consisting of a four band Exotech, a Pyronometer, a Line-of-sight radiometer (LOSR), and meteorological instruments for measurements of local temperature and pressure.