Shooting Incident Documentation with 3D Laser Scanners

In this video see an example of a 3D reconstruction of a shooting. A FARO Focus was used to document the scene and Zone 3D was used to do the trajectory analysis and generate reports.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanners, also known as 3D laser scanners, are the best tools to use for measuring scenes and are becoming more imperative in shooting incidents.

Laser scanners provide an additional level of accuracy, thoroughness, and compelling visual presentations. Laser scanners captures real world information, used in the digital world, for scene documentation and analysis, to create an exact measurable copy of even the most complex scenes. Photographs have a tremendous amount of value, but they rarely have the same impact as a dimensional representation of a scene.

Laser scans allow the viewer to visualize the scene in much more detail, providing a complete documentation tool, as it will document everything within its line of sight. In turn, the location is forever digitally preserved for review and analysis. When a scene is captured in a precise, detailed, photo-realistic 3D view, the investigator has created a foundation for virtual storytelling.

The scanner eliminates potential human error within measurements. There are no more fixed perspectives or overlapping photographs to achieve a similar view of an officer, witness, or suspect. Scan data provides an aspect of relational space that assists investigators in locating evidence and forensically reconstructing the circumstances of the incident.