ISO 18381:2013建立了应用于来自有效载荷仪器（如多光谱和高光谱成像仪）的数字三维图像数据的数据压缩算法，并规定了压缩数据的格式。 数据压缩用于减少数字数据量，以实现以下方面的益处: 传输信道带宽的减少； 减少缓冲和存储需求； 在给定速率下减少数据传输时间。 仪器数据的特性仅在确保多任务支持能力所必需的范围内指定。ISO 18381:2013不试图量化相对带宽减少、所讨论的方法的优点或编码器和相关解码器的设计要求。ISO 18381:2013仅解决三维数据的无损压缩，其中要求是数据速率降低被约束以允许在数据压缩/解压缩过程中不添加失真。

ISO 18381:2013 establishes a data compression algorithm applied to digital three-dimensional image data from payload instruments, such as multispectral and hyperspectral imagers, and specifies the compressed data format. Data compression is used to reduce the volume of digital data to achieve benefits in areas including, but not limited to:

• reduction of transmission channel bandwidth;
• reduction of the buffering and storage requirement;
• reduction of data-transmission time at a given rate.

The characteristics of instrument data are specified only to the extent necessary to ensure multi-mission support capabilities. ISO 18381:2013 does not attempt to quantify the relative bandwidth reduction, the merits of the approaches discussed, or the design requirements for encoders and associated decoders. ISO 18381:2013 addresses only lossless compression of three-dimensional data, where the requirement is for a data-rate reduction constrained to allow no distortion to be added in the data compression/decompression process.