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The 3D model of the crashed vehicle (right) corresponds well to a photograph of the vehicle (left).


along every axis by using the mouse without proprietary com- puter programs.


hen the scene of a collision is being


mapped and catalogued, it is not uncommon to see inves- tigators using everything from a tape measure to the Total Station surveying equipment. These tools provide the inves- tigator with a useable but limited amount of information and require substantial time to acquire the data at the scene of the accident. Now it is possible to combine all of the measur- ing, photographing, video recording tools into one package using a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS), or drone.


You can’t turn on the television or read a science journal without seeing the use of drones. Everyone knows the benefi ts of drones for surveillance, search and recovery, operational intelligence, and general data collection. Investigators have been taking pho- tographs of accident scenes ever since the camera was invented. Without question, the invention of the digital camera has allowed the investigator to take unlimited photos without processing cost and limited physical storage considerations. Newer technology is allowing the analyst to combine several procedures into one data collecting event. One technique is known as photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is the science of making measurements from photographs, especially for recovering the exact positions of sur- face points. This measurement technique has been around for a long time. However, when the process is combined with images collected from above, it can be turned into a 3D model of incred- ible detail and clarity.


The 3D photogrammetry photograph can open many doors to the investigator. Imagine having the ability to see the vehicle in every possible angle from your desktop in 3D. How many times have you been analyzing the data from your investigation and needed to re-examine the vehicle to confi rm or deny questions that arise during your damage or scene analysis? In addition, you can send the 3D image as a PDF to a colleague


anywhere he/she has access to a computer. It can be analyzed and evaluated in 3D by anyone who can open the fi le. In the past, when investigators were in front of a jury, they would print large photographs and mount them on foam core to show the effects of the collision. Now, the images can be rotated on a projector screen


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When vehicles are removed from the scene, additional damage to the vehicles can occur from the recovery operation. Document- ing the process in 3D would help identify and separate the two types of damage. Having the opportunity to show a jury the 3D view of a collision scene, or the view of a collision vehicle in amaz- ing resolution and clarity is one of the unlimited uses of the drone in traffi c accident reconstruction.


When the scene is being processed, the road is closed not only for safety of the investigators and emergency service personnel. It is necessary to have unlimited access to travel lanes to take measure- ments, even with the Total Station. Using the drone, investigators can photograph, map and video the scene from the safety of the shoulder or any place near the scene. It would no longer be neces- sary to photograph and measure the scene in two separate events. Mapping software is currently available to accurately produce orthographic images suitable for rapid measurements of the posi- tion of the accident vehicles relative to any point(s) on the mapped image. Roadway closure times can be dramatically reduced, which is not only a traffi c direction and control issue, but it also reduces the economic burden associated with traffi c and the ecological burden associated with prolonged periods where cars needlessly sit idling.


This top-down view of the crashed vehicle can be used to determine the diameter of the object it collided with and the extent of deformation.


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