What if you could roll back time and step into a crime scene from ten years ago? Imagine being able to take a witness back to the crime scene years later and see what they did from their vantage point. Or how about riding in a suspect’s vehicle at night to try and discover if they were telling the truth? Michigan State Police are calling this new forensic tool priceless and its saving them years… read more →
From Leica’s Ready Room: Are You Providing the Data the Court Needs to See? By Walter Bentley Two years ago, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Brandon, Manitoba, became the first law-enforcement agency in the province to adopt forensic laser scanning. “We initially bought a single Leica ScanStation to ensure that it would meet our needs and that the workflow wasn’t going to be overly cumbersome, especially the back end of the workflow at the… read more →
Highly informative PBS article about 3D laser scanning and reconstruction. Here are a few excerpts: Since 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have spent nearly $1 million on FARO scanners. Department of Defense: $18 million. Both considerable sums given that the company offers some of the least expensive laser scanners on the market for forensic analysis and surveying. This gadget is an emerging piece of… read more →
The driver of an Ottawa bus that crashed into a Via Rail passenger train, killing five passengers and himself in 2013, was likely distracted by a video screen he was required to monitor on the job, the Transportation and Safety Board says. TSB Canada released an official report which also listed speed of the bus, the curve of the road ahead of the crossing, company practices and bus crashworthiness as contributing factors. Read full TSB… read more →
There are two great benefits that proponents of forensic animations like to advertise about their product. The first is that that having a courtroom animation increases the persuasiveness of an argument and the second is that an animation creates a lasting visual impression that is retained in jurors’ memories longer than a verbal presentation alone.These would seem like fantastic selling points on their own, however, the truth is that most cases settle before anyone sets… read more →
“The insurance adjuster has dozens, if not hundreds, of claims to assess in catastrophic events and it’s a matter of being fast – but accurate as can be by the same token. Scanning inherits both traits of being a camera and a tape measure.” 3D laser scanning can be a valuable tool in the process of investigating a claim to determine fault or responsibility of a third party. Laser scanning provides 3D documentation of the… read more →
“For decades, juries have made life-altering decisions based, in part, on static, two-dimensional photographs and diagrams. Today, highly accurate 3D visualization software transforms scan data into an informative, interactive, and compelling alternative. In California, a jury was transported virtually into a vivid 3D crime scene along a rural country road. They were shown undeniable forensic evidence that lead them to convict a known gang member for the assassination of a sheriff’s deputy. And in a… read more →
Excerpt from interview with Craig Fries of Precision Simulations discussing how laser scan data and visualizations can help juries reach a consensus: “I’m a big believer that today’s jurors are visual,” Fries said. “They need to see this, and they really do want to understand the evidence.” When presented orally or as static, two-dimensional measurements, diagrams and photos, evidence can quickly become confusing. “It would be asking a lot for the jury to juggle all… read more →
Key benefits of 3D laser scanning as part of the litigation process: Speed. Laser scanning involves very little equipment — the scanner and a laptop. A crew of one or two people can get to the scene and set up very quickly. This rapid response prevents the opportunity for changes to the site that a longer delay might allow. In addition, the scanning itself can take as little as a few hours to a day… read more →
3D laser scanning technology makes an appearance on TechCrunch with another article about the Roswell Police Dept acquisition of a 3D scanner (as seen on Gizmodo this week): Police Using 3D Scanners For Panoramic Crime Scene Analysis “The Roswell Police Department is just one of many police departments currently using Faro Technology’s 3D imaging hardware to analyze crime scenes. In other words, you’ll probably see this kind of crime scene scanning on one of your… read more →
