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We’ve discussed the impressive capabilities and uses of Forensic Animation in a few previous articles, but a new post up on EzineMark discussed the double-edged sword of some of the higher-end graphics.  As television shows like CSI and Bones keep pushing the envelope with high-end high-budget CG effects and videos, real animators find themselves struggling to keep up with juror expectations.

Thanks to the wide spread use of 3D animated computer graphics in television, film, video gaming, etc. jurors today will likely have expectations of a higher degree of realism. Crudely created animations will not be appealing or credible to an audience of jurors today. Poorly rendered animations by inexperienced animators have given this visual tool a bad reputation in some instances.

Then again, if a movie looks “too good” people will think it’s completely a conceptual piece meant to warp their view of the facts.

Because of our movie going experience with special effects, there is a pre-conceived notion that 3D animations are largely products of the animator’s imagination. However, trained forensic animators spends as much as 70% of their project hours on tracking down and verifying the data they are using to re-create the scene. At each and every phase, from building the models and objects to the planned movement of those objects, and the environment they are shown in, every detail must relate and correspond directly with the investigative facts, eyewitness reports, photographs, and expert testimony.

via Forensic Animation Grows In Popularity.

Graphics, Science forensic

A bit more information about North Carolina State’s new IC-CRIME program is available, discussing how they plan to integrate state-of-the-art scanning hardware with run-of-the-mill gaming software to create an interactive, collaborative forensic research environment.

NC State recently received a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) program to help lay a foundation that promotes greater collaboration in the field of forensic science – a platform they call IC-CRIME (interdisciplinary, cyber-enabled crime reconstruction through innovative methodology and engagement).

The IC-CRIME platform will employ the latest in 3-D laser scanning technologies and run on the Unity game engine technology, which powers over 50 commercial games like “FusionFall” and “VooDude.”

via Videogames find ways to help real CSI solve crimes | Technology | Reuters.

Science forensic, ic-crime, unity

Eugene Liscio, our favorite Forensic Graphics Artist, has just written a new piece of Forensic Magazine on the potential of using Microsoft’s Photosynth tool to reconstruct 3D Geometry from 2D images.

These “points” define accurate features in 3D space that are common between photos and by taking enough photographs of an object, it is possible to construct a point cloud from the “synthed” images. In effect, this makes it one of the only free 3D scanners that can be utilized to get relative distances between point features of an object.

via Forensic Magazine® – Making Teamwork Really Work for You.

Science forensic, liscio, photosynth

Age progression has been around for a long time as a tool for guessing or predicting what children (or even older suspects) would look like after a long time has passed.  Over on BoingBoing they talk to Glen Miller from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about how they use Adobe Photoshop to “Age” photos.

We use Adobe Photoshop CS4 to manipulate the photos. We stretch the face to approximate growth, blend it with parental photos, and put a hairstyle on each child. The clothes are transformed to be more appropriate for that age. We use powerful Macs with lots of memory and speed, and drawing tablets instead of mouses. With this technology, we can complete one age progression in about three hours.

We build faces in virtual environments for people to recognize, but the only way we really know we’re successful is by having results. We can compliment each other on how great an age progressed image is, but the public is the true test of success. To say we love feedback is an understatement. We crave it. It encourages parents of long term missing kids that there’s hope, and that’s one of the most important things about what we do. We’re giving people their identity back.

via How forensics use Photoshop to find missing children – Boing Boing.

Science forensic, interview, photoshop

NC State just received a $1.4 million grant from the NSF Cyber-Enabled Discovery & Innovation (CDI) program to promote greater collaboration in forensic science, a system they’re calling IC-CRIME (interdisciplinary, cyber-enabled crime reconstruction through innovative methodology and engagement).

The IC-CRIME platform will employ the latest in 3-D laser scanning technologies to virtually reconstruct and preserve crime scenes, and will be built on a game engine to enable virtual recreation of the scene. The laser scanner technology, developed by Research Triangle Park company 3rdTech, will allow investigators to accurately record room and object dimensions, as well as the placement of every piece of evidence in a crime scene. The scanners can capture millions of data points at a crime scene within a few minutes. Combined with high resolution digital photography, and other trace evidence data such as microscopic and chemical analysis of fibers, a comprehensive, permanent data record will be produced within the NC State IC-CRIME platform.

via NCSU News :: NC State News and Information » CSI in a Virtual World: New Grant Furthers NC State’s Work in Forensic Science.

Science forensic, nsf

In this VizWorld Feature, Eugene Liscio of AI2-3D returns with an article discussing the power of Forensic Virtual Models in the Courtroom.

When virtual reality became popularized in the late 1980s and 1990s, it wasn’t long before people started to dream of fascinating concepts and uses for virtual environments in education, simulation, training and entertainment. However, at the time the progression of technology fell short in terms of processing power, responsive tactic input devices and the fundamental programming and logical techniques required to output a realistic looking environment.

Today, there have been large improvements in processing power as well as the techniques used to display cutting edge 3D graphics in real-time. By simply looking at the gaming, medical and engineering design markets, one will quickly realize that the developments in computer graphics in the last 20 years has been astonishing. Yet, even with the advancements in processing power and logical programming techniques, the use of virtual reality in the forensics and litigation fields has seen minimal use.

Read more after the break.

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Science feature, forensic, legal, liscio

Eugene Liscio

Earlier this week I discovered AI2-3D, an animation company run by Eugene Liscio, P.Eng.  AI2-3D specializes in accident reconstructions and forensic animations to be used by police and lawyers in prosecuting cases.  They have several example animations on their site and Youtube.

The following is an edited and condensed version of an interview conducted with Mr Liscio, about his work with forensic animation.

VW: Your website describes AI2 has “3D Forensic Computer Animations, Forensic Mapping, and Photogrammetry Services”. For starters, can you describe just what AI2-3D does?

EL: Well, AI² originally started out as Animations, Imaging and Illustrations; hence the name.  However, after a short time in business in became clear to me that there were other services that clients could use that some other animation houses weren’t offering.  Namely, the ability to do site surveys using a total station and photogrammetry.  These technologies were just a good fit since they rounded things out and I wasn’t dependant on a third party to complete these activities. However, today there are a lot more things that people like to get animated or into a 3D format.  So, I like to sum up the services as Forensic Visualization.

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Graphics, Hardware, Science ai2-3d, feature, forensic, interview, liscio