Dundee hosts the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Seminar: “Visualising the Future”

Forensic scientists, law enforcement and fire and rescue services representatives from Scotland and around the globe met in Dundee for a meeting focused on the recording of crime scenes using photographic and three-dimensional imaging methods. 

The two-day, event led by a consortium of forensic science experts from the UK, Finland and Sweden. Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Eva Ljungkvist, Ruth Buckley and Aino Myyrä brought together 67 experts from 19 Countries to discuss the future of using visualisation tools for training and for operational use at crime scenes and in the courtroom.

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and one of the conference organisers said, "We were delighted to bring this conference to the University of Dundee. Visualisation techniques are rapidly developing and it is critically important to adopt this new technology in a way that is fit for purpose. Having the opportunity to work together across different agencies and countries will help us to do this in a way that provides the checks and balances required for the justice system.  We are indebted to the Dundee City Region Convention Bureau who worked alongside the organisers to make the conference a reality."

Virtual recorded scenes can improve understanding of an incident for all involved including the judiciary and the jury in an inclusive and immersive manner, presenting the context of evidence directly within a scene. 

The meeting considered three strands of work

• 3D imaging methods; technical methods and production.
• Assisting the investigation and end users; case studies exploring value added.
• Improvement and pedagogy; proficiency testing, assessment, validation and collaborative exercises.

Vincenzo Rinaldi presented his work that applies Virtual Reality to capturing the crime scene which is currently being used in a new facility to train fire scene investigators in Scotland.