NCJ Number
205772
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 52,54,56
Date Published
May 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A new technology called SceneVision-3D, marketed by 3rdTech, can reduce measuring and photographing a crime scene from hours to minutes and produce more accurate measurements and comprehensive virtual images.
Abstract
The heart of the system is the DeltaSphere-3000 3D Scene Digitizer, which features a time-of-flight, modulated beam, laser rangefinder that produces three-dimensional measurements at the rate of approximately 25,000 measurements-per-second. The DeltaSphere scans a space or object by sweeping its laser rangefinder over millions of individual points to record both the location of and range to each point. When the laser beam hits something and reflects back, the time-of-flight is used to determine the distance to that point. While scanning, the operator can also point and click on the image on the DeltaSphere's display to show the X, Y, Z coordinates of that location. The distance between any two points can also be measured. A room or area can be completely measured in 10-20 minutes. An optional high-resolution digital camera can be used to capture real-world color from the same viewpoint as the laser range finder. The virtual scene is stored on a disk that can be retrieved days, months, even years later. Because it is a virtual picture, it can be viewed from any position. The specifications of the equipment involved are described in this article.