Technologies

Smart combination of techniques

Within CSI The Hague, a combination of existing and new technologies from outside the forensic field has been brought together. The consortium partners work with open standards in order to make all the technologies suitable for forensic work. The following disciplines, methods and techniques have been introduced into the project:

Virtual reality en serious gaming
Nobody can undergo on-the-spot training at a real crime scene. It’s a situation where everything has to be done correctly first time and according to the relevant protocol. In the new CSI Lab though, the working situation at a crime scene may be faithfully simulated in a physical and virtual environment. With the aid of serious gaming techniques, forensic researchers can provide training in working methods within a virtual environment. A specially developed scenario generator ensures that realistic scenarios, based on criminal statistics and selected at random, are available for the virtual training sessions. Each scenario devised by the computer will soon be automatically translated into the virtual environment.

Sensor and measurement technologies
The CSI lab is equipped with cameras and sensors that make it possible to measure the heartrate of forensic researchers, follow the pathways they take and make image and sound recordings. An instructor can use this information to evaluate a training session, but it may also be used in order to analyse human behaviour. An intelligent software system connects the measurements and scientifically analyses the behaviour. Such analyses provide valuable information that can be used to improve working methods. 

Thermal and spectral cameras
A thermal camera makes heat traces visible. You can use such a camera to ‘see’ through materials and detect heat sources. A spectral camera can record the chemical composition of organic traces at the crime scene. In this way, it is for instance possible to find traces of blood that are invisible to the naked eye. The camera can also determine how long the blood has been there.  

Augmented reality
With the aid of a head-mounted device (an advanced kind of visor), a forensic researcher can make recordings of the environment. He can also use an augmented reality technique to add his findings and comments to these. Meanwhile, a team in another room can view what is happening in real time, and provide instructions. This presents tremendous advantages, for example when dealing with a high-risk crime scene. The visor can also make 3D recordings. These can be used to reconstruct a crime scene in order to research it later. There is also a hand-held 3D scanner (a tablet) available, which offers the possibility to add further information.