NCJ Number
130323
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 18 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 34-40
Date Published
1991
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A newly developed software package called Photosketch, currently in use by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is the latest technology in the field of computerized age progression.
Abstract
The primary users of Photosketch have been police artists and medical illustrators who work on aging the pictures of children who have been missing for several years. The system is based on the FBI's data base of 960 facial types and features. Photosketch transforms the merged images of parents and siblings with photographs of the missing child to create an accurate facial progression. Visual information is scanned into the Photosketch system; the artist then uses his own knowledge of facial change to predict how the child's face will now look. The artist works on a grid system, focusing on one section at a time. Once the system is transferred onto faster hardware, each age progression should take only one hour. The final images are printed for distribution through several national clearinghouses; the age progression is displayed alongside the original photo, dated from the time of the child's disappearance. Computerized age progression not only reduces investigative time and cuts costs, it also boosts public support for law enforcement efforts in the area of missing children and has generated many leads. Photosketch is also valuable in the area of composite sketches based on witness testimony. The system can be applied to the images of wanted terrorists and felons and its cranial/facial reconstruction feature can be used to identify unrecognizable remains.