Monday, March 9, 2009

3D Scanning: A New Tool for Cracking Tough Cases

http://www.forensicmag.com/articles.asp?pid=264

Today more and more people are beginning to use the 3D method of examining figures and evidence. In the past 3D machines were only used for overviews of places to see what the crime scene looked like but now it is being used to see objects themselves as if you were holding the actual object. US forensics laboratories have been working to put both of these aspects into one joint database where you can see the overall site and also the selected objects.  To capture "3D closeups" of key physical evidence, a high resolution from NextEngine is used. The cereal-box sized scanning unit is mounted on a tripod and aimed at the target object. Multiple laser stripes sweep across the target, and are cross-referenced to provide a high level of data accuracy and a clean 3D surface. Color information is also captured for a visually accurate 3D image of the target. There has been technological advances that has made it much more affordable for this equipment and much easier to manage these programs. Today's easy accessibility to 3D scanning technology makes it possible for any lab to permanently record this data, and provide it instantly to the people that need it.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once I read the title of this article I became extremely interested in the topic at hand. The idea of being able to exam a 3D image is mind boggling and very impresssive. In adddition, being able to afford this program is remarkable since this technology is so advanced. However, the article would have been better if it gave real instances where this technology was successfully used to solve a crime. Pricing statistics would also have been an interesting fact to read about in this summary. But, in the end, I felt this current event was not only interesting but well constructed.

BXV2009 (John) said...

Nicely done, Joe. I like the way you explained how the 3D scanning works, as well as what it is, and what it is used for.

I never knew that this technology is used in forensic science.

Anonymous said...

I really liked this article taht you found. It was very interesting and i liked how you analyzed the article in a way that presented the fcats while giving your own opinion good job.