Development of an underwater multispectral imaging system based on narrowband color filters

Underwater spectral imaging technology is of potential significance to marine research fields. This paper presents a novel underwater multispectral imaging system based on 31 narrowband color filters installed on double filter wheels. A set of underwater spectral imaging systems are initially developed containing an optical principle, imaging module, a control, and software. A pool experiment is conducted to evaluate the performance of the underwater multispectral imaging system, and 31-channel spectral images with wavelengths of 400 to 700 nm at intervals of 10 nm are obtained. The spectral responses of similar color objects are analyzed and discussed, and the results show that the underwater multispectral imager has advantages in distinguishing color, which aids the identification of similar color objects.