Forensic science is a field that has taken leaps and bounds over the past several years. From the advent of DNA analysis to the continued technological advancements in the sciences, the progress made in criminalistics has been remarkable.
While this progression has been impressive, certain areas of forensic science have come under scrutiny due to the lack of statistical data available in the analyses performed. Some of these areas include fracture matching, toolmarks analysis, and impression evidence analysis.
Gateway Analytical has been working in conjunction with a Pittsburgh based business, Three Rivers 3D, to gain statistical data in a variety of forensic evidence types using 3D scanning. I recently presented at the 2012 MAAFS Annual Meeting on May 18th on the use of 3D Scanning for Fracture Matching, Toolmarks and Impression Evidence. The focus of the presentation was on the utility of 3D scanning technology in these areas to provide the visual and statistical reinforcement to forensic trace evidence examiners that is often lacking in fracture match and impressions analysis.
You can get a copy of my presentation below: