If you are a fan of TV crime series, you have probably noticed how details such as shoe prints and traces on bodies help investigators narrow down their list of suspects.
Such forensic evidence plays a great role in assisting detectives with their investigations, but they still have their limitations.
With the evolution of technology, however, 3D scanning has massively improved precision in cold cases and helped in providing solutions to challenging mysteries.
While 3D scanning technology is relatively new, it is now accepted by federal crime agencies, law enforcement agencies and major security departments all over the world.
It allows investigators to capture information at a crime scene that was not available until in recent times. 3D scanner software analyzes and compares 3D models, providing highly detailed data that can help convince juries handling cold cases.
3D Scanner Usage Presents Investigators with New Perspectives
Since 2003, there has been noticeable improvement in the number of resolved criminal cases in Europe.
But while the capture and analysis of evidence from details such as fingerprints, serology and ballistics has been instrumental in this improvement, there are doubts, for instance, about the uniqueness of an individual’s fingerprints, or the parameters used to declare a match in hair analysis.
The lack of precision with these methods makes it difficult to guarantee their integrity from the scene of the crime to the court.
As the number of unsolved crimes remains a cause for concern in Europe, 3D scanner technology is a promising forensic approach which aims to increase the resolution, flexibility and accuracy of analysis of evidence.
3D technology helps to collect and analyze specific types of traces from crime scenes like tire impressions and footwear.
The typical techniques used to capture these traces are plaster casting or traditional photography, but both measures have their disadvantages. While photographs do not provide relevant information on depth, plaster casting is a time-consuming venture.
The flexibility and versatility of 3D scanner technology are two of its major benefits for law enforcement agencies. It allows for greater range of usage, effectively providing a more realistic and complete account to forensic pathologists.
For instance, the ability of 3D scanner technology to recreate the trajectory of a foreign object (e.g. a bullet) entering the body can help medical experts and law enforcement agencies to determine the cause of death, and the interaction of individuals involved in a crime scene.
3D scanner technology is increasingly becoming a reliable crime investigation tool that can help bring valuable data to court cases that was a luxury even 5 years ago.
Across Europe and the United States, this advanced method of collecting data from a crime scene has helped to solve criminal litigation cases and civil cases. And the potential of this technology is huge. We can expect even more advancements with quicker and more precise resolutions of criminal cases in the near future.
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