NCJ Number
229179
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 36 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 68,70-72,74,75
Date Published
October 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the various features of technologies and specific devices available to create digital images of crime scenes.
Abstract
The term "digital imaging" tends to be used as a catch-all phrase to describe both 3D laser scanners and panoramic cameras; however, these are two different technologies. A panoramic camera records high-resolution photographs and can record measurements with photogrammetry software. A 3D laser scanner, on the other hand, creates a panoramic photograph and then automatically records millions of highly accurate measurements. Everything within the scanner's field of view is measured. An example of a particular panoramic camera is the Panoscan MK-3, which is a third-generation panoramic camera that can photograph a full 360-degree image in less than 1 minute, even in low light. Images generated by the MK-3 can be presented as flat panoramic images or as movies in most virtual reality players. Forensic crime scene photography and tactical mapping are among the most recent applications of the MK-System. An example of a 3D laser scanner is the Leica Geosystems ScanStation 2. It allows a user to first generate a 360-degree panoramic photo of the scene, followed by the generation of up to 50,000 highly accurate measurements per second for everything within its field of view. The ScanStation can be used indoors or outdoors in complete darkness or bright sunshine. Another crime-scene mapping solution to consider is the DeltaSphere-300 from 3rdTech. It combines 3D laser scanning with high-resolution digital photographs in producing photo-realistic 3D computer graphics models. This article also provides information on cost for such devices, various law enforcement uses of digital imaging, and concern about image alterations when digital technology is involved.