Hyperspectral data available for public is limited and I am unable to find any data for the purpose mentioned above. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
The resolution of the commercially available, global, satellite-based, hyperspectral data is not of a high enough spatial resolution to be particularly useful for identifying objects as small as a tank and especially not a landmine. Here is a link to a table of satellites with information regarding their resolution: http://emerald.ucsc.edu/~hyperwww/instruments.html
There are methods for combining relatively lower-resolution hyperspectral data with relatively higher-resolution conventional satellite imagery to increase the detection threshold. A mine field may be detectable in this way, if the density of their placement was great enough or the surface disturbance was great enough. Likewise, if enough tanks were located close together they might be detectable (unlikely if they are being camouflaged). For a discussion of this and another resolution improving approachs see http://spie.org/x93021.xml
The technology is advancing so rapidly that it is only a matter of time before the commercially available data reaches the point of detecting vehicles. (see http://www.jossonline.com/downloads/limitations%20of%20hyperspectral%20earth%20observation%20on%20small%20satellites.pdf) A near-future source of such data will be from UAVs equipped with hyperspectral imagining systems. The easiest solution to resolution is (almost) always to get closer.
There are hyperspectral imagining systems in existence that can be used from vehicles (automobile or aircraft) that would likely be capable of detecting tanks (depending on the nature of the camouflage used and the surrounding environment). Mines are pretty small targets that may have been in-place for a long period of time. The signal they would produce would be hard to detect and reliability would be a problem. Newly placed mines would be more likely to be detected, assuming the sensors were operated closely enough to the ground.
In summation, you are not going to be able to buy data "off the shelf" that has high enough resolution to detect individual mines. The general direction of your inquiry has merit and is, in fact, an area of active research and development.
I'm not aware of any publicly available hyperspectral data. I'm very interested too, I tried to find one some time ago. If you ever find one, please let me know!
Thanks!
I don't speak for them, but you might try contacting Exelis Visual Information Solutions, who sell ENVI. They may know where some freely available data sets might be located. NASA might be another place to ask. Good luck!
Also looking for hyperspectral data to study species diversity. Don't mind having to pay for it. Thanks
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