Block-Based Fusion Algorithm With Simulated Band Generation for Hyperspectral and Multispectral Images of Partially Different Wavelength Ranges

As current and future satellite systems provide both hyperspectral and multispectral images, a need has arisen for image fusion using hyperspectral and multispectral images to improve the fusion quality. This study introduces a hyperspectral image fusion algorithm using multispectral images with a higher spatial resolution and partially different wavelength range compared with the corresponding hyperspectral images. This study focuses on an image fusion technique that enhances the spatial quality and preserves the spectral information of hyperspectral images. The proposed algorithm generates a simulated multispectral band via a spectral unmixing technique and extracts high-frequency information based on blocks of associated bands. The algorithm was applied to Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) datasets acquired in two modes and was compared with two existing methods. Although the wavelength range of the multispectral image did not coincide with that of the hyperspectral image, the proposed algorithm efficiently improved the spatial details and preserved the spectral information of the fused results.