Holistic Information Theory of Spatial Remote Sensing Imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a holistic information theory for spatial remote sensing that unifies hardware and computational aspects, enabling low-cost high-resolution imaging through optimized information transfer.

Contribution

It proposes a novel integrated framework and a quantifiable MTF-SNR product criterion, demonstrating improved system design and performance in remote sensing imaging.

Findings

Increasing integration time reduces mirror size and mass.

Low-resolution systems can match high-resolution fidelity with higher SNR.

Validated in Earth observation and satellite constellation design.

Abstract

To address the non-optimal global design caused by the independent optimization of optical lenses, photodetectors, and computational processing subsystems in traditional remote sensing imaging system design, this paper proposes a holistic information theory for spatial remote sensing imaging. This theory integrates the optoelectronic imaging hardware front end and computational reconstruction back end into a unified framework. It establishes a complete spatial imaging chain information transfer model with the objective of obtaining the required effective information. The paper innovatively proposes a quantifiable Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)-Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) product criterion. It demonstrates that the system information transmission ability is determined by the product of MTF and SNR, and that these parameters can compensate for each other to achieve equivalent information transfer. Validation through a high-resolution Earth observation system case shows that under consistent reconstruction mean square error conditions, increasing time delay integration stages reduces optical aperture size and significantly lowers primary mirror mass. Simulations and physical experiments further indicate that by increasing integration time, low-resolution optical systems achieve reconstructed fidelity comparable to high-resolution systems. This verifies that small-aperture optical systems can achieve equivalent imaging performance by enhancing SNR. This theory has been successfully applied in the design of the Jilin-1 satellite constellation, providing a new paradigm for low-cost high-resolution remote sensing systems.