TY - JOUR

T1 - A Virtual, 3D Multimodal Approach to Victim and Crime Scene Reconstruction

AU - Villa, Chiara

AU - Lynnerup, Niels

AU - Jacobsen, Christina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - In the last two decades, forensic pathology and crime scene investigations have seen a rapid increase in examination tools due to the implementation of several imaging techniques, e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanning and photogrammetry. These tools encompass relatively simple visualization tools to powerful instruments for performing virtual 3D crime scene reconstructions. A multi-modality and multiscale approach to a crime scene, where 3D models of victims and the crime scene are combined, offers several advantages. A permanent documentation of all evidence in a single 3D environment can be used during the investigation phases (e.g., for testing hypotheses) or during the court procedures (e.g., to visualize the scene and the victim in a more intuitive manner). Advanced computational approaches to understand what might have happened during a crime can also be applied by, e.g., performing a virtual animation of the victim in the actual context, which can provide important information about possible dynamics during the event. Here, we present an overview of the different techniques and modalities used in forensic pathology in conjunction with crime scene investigations. Based on our experiences, the advantages and challenges of an image-based multi-modality approach will be discussed, including how their use may introduce new visualization modalities in court, e.g., virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing. Finally, considerations about future directions in research will be mentioned.

AB - In the last two decades, forensic pathology and crime scene investigations have seen a rapid increase in examination tools due to the implementation of several imaging techniques, e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanning and photogrammetry. These tools encompass relatively simple visualization tools to powerful instruments for performing virtual 3D crime scene reconstructions. A multi-modality and multiscale approach to a crime scene, where 3D models of victims and the crime scene are combined, offers several advantages. A permanent documentation of all evidence in a single 3D environment can be used during the investigation phases (e.g., for testing hypotheses) or during the court procedures (e.g., to visualize the scene and the victim in a more intuitive manner). Advanced computational approaches to understand what might have happened during a crime can also be applied by, e.g., performing a virtual animation of the victim in the actual context, which can provide important information about possible dynamics during the event. Here, we present an overview of the different techniques and modalities used in forensic pathology in conjunction with crime scene investigations. Based on our experiences, the advantages and challenges of an image-based multi-modality approach will be discussed, including how their use may introduce new visualization modalities in court, e.g., virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing. Finally, considerations about future directions in research will be mentioned.

KW - 3D models

KW - 3D printing

KW - crime scene investigations

KW - forensic pathology

KW - imaging techniques

KW - multi-modality approach

KW - research directions

KW - virtual reality

U2 - 10.3390/diagnostics13172764

DO - 10.3390/diagnostics13172764

M3 - Review

C2 - 37685302

AN - SCOPUS:85170375307

VL - 13

JO - Diagnostics

JF - Diagnostics

SN - 2075-4418

IS - 17

M1 - 2764

ER -