smallest hyperspectral imaging camera

Nanoelectronics research center imec and XIMEA, partnered thru integrating imec’s Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) sensors with XIMEA’s xiQ USB3.0 camera product line.


By applying narrow-band spectral filters at pixel-level using semiconductor thin-film processing, imec’s technology enables hyperspectral image sensor solutions with extreme compactness, low weight, high reliability and proven capabilities to be mass produced at low cost in volume. Three types of standard spectral image sensor designs are today available: 100 bands linescan design, 32 bands snapshot tiled design, and a new snapshot mosaic designs featuring 16 bands in a matrix of 4x4 per-pixel filters.


XIMEA coupled imec’s hyperspectral sensors to its xiQ camera product line which features exceptional form factor with unmet specification today for the hyperspectral imaging space: xiQ cameras feature 26.4 x 26.4 x 21.6 mm total dimension and weight of mere 27 grams. With such size XIMEA can proudly claim the title of world’s smallest hyperspectral imaging camera.

The high-speed USB3.0 interface includes power supply over USB that removes the need for expensive and bulky frame-grabbers and separate power supplies. It will enable to design and mass-produce extremely compact hyperspectral imaging camera solutions.

Hyperspectral line is called xiSpec and consumes only 1.8 W, easing the power and thermal management design challenges of UAVs for example. 

xiSpec-Hyperspectral-cameras-2015-brochure (2.23 MB)