CRIME scene investigators could one day help solve murders without leaving the office. A pair of augmented reality glasses could allow local police to virtually tag objects in a crime scene, and build a clean record of the scene in 3D video before evidence is removed for processing.
The system, being developed by Oytun Akman and colleagues at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, consists of a head-mounted display receiving 3D video from a pair of attached cameras controlled by a laptop carried in a backpack. This arrangement lets the wearer see their surroundings as normal while also allowing them to overlay virtual objects, which are placed using hand gestures.
A menu appears to float over the left hand when the wearer holds it in front of them. Moving the left hand back and forth selects from a variety of tools, while the right hand serves as a pointer to tag objects in the scene, like blood spatter or bullet holes. The system stores the markers as part of a 3D model of the scene, which investigators can use to help their investigation. It may also be admissible in court as evidence.
If the person wearing the glasses requires assistance, they can contact someone back in the lab who can watch their video stream, speak to the wearer through a headset and place markers in the scene using a mouse and keyboard. This would also allow a police officer to take the first look around a crime scene.
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