Forensic Visualization Projects to Consider
We discussed having PART 01 devoted to explaining how forensic visualization has become critical in modern court trials. The first segment will acquaint the viewer with a few examples from cases we have handled and will be the lead-in to PART 02, which will be the application of forensic visualization to the Daybell crime scene.
We obviously have many, many examples from our work over the years in both criminal and civil cases. I've selected a few candidate cases that I feel would be worth considering to use for PART 01. You all know much better than we do what would appeal to your viewers. Please review these cases and let us know your thoughts.
CASE 01 - SNORKELING DISASTER IN MOLOKINI HAWAII
This is an interesting case where Visual Law was hired to produce a visualization explaining how a commercial dive/snorkel boat got caught in a tropical storm leading to death and injury to tourists who were on a day trip to Molokini Crater. We worked with scientists from the University of Hawaii Oceanography Department to create the 3D model and to simulate the ocean wave behavior. Interestingly, the scientists were shocked to find that there was no available survey (bathymetry) for the subsurface lagoon. This was important because the subsurface topography determines the waves and that was a huge issue in the case. The atoll itself also had not been surveyed and was off-limits as a protected federal bird sanctuary. Fortunately, we were able to dig up an old 1860 document in the Hawaii Historical Museum that included depth soundings for the lagoon done by a tall ship with weighted ropes. We used that data for the subsurface topography and I rented a boat at dawn and took a drone out to do a photogrammetric mission. BELOW is an excerpt showing both the 3D model and the ocean wave simulation we developed for the case:
We obviously have many, many examples from our work over the years in both criminal and civil cases. I've selected a few candidate cases that I feel would be worth considering to use for PART 01. You all know much better than we do what would appeal to your viewers. Please review these cases and let us know your thoughts.
CASE 01 - SNORKELING DISASTER IN MOLOKINI HAWAII
This is an interesting case where Visual Law was hired to produce a visualization explaining how a commercial dive/snorkel boat got caught in a tropical storm leading to death and injury to tourists who were on a day trip to Molokini Crater. We worked with scientists from the University of Hawaii Oceanography Department to create the 3D model and to simulate the ocean wave behavior. Interestingly, the scientists were shocked to find that there was no available survey (bathymetry) for the subsurface lagoon. This was important because the subsurface topography determines the waves and that was a huge issue in the case. The atoll itself also had not been surveyed and was off-limits as a protected federal bird sanctuary. Fortunately, we were able to dig up an old 1860 document in the Hawaii Historical Museum that included depth soundings for the lagoon done by a tall ship with weighted ropes. We used that data for the subsurface topography and I rented a boat at dawn and took a drone out to do a photogrammetric mission. BELOW is an excerpt showing both the 3D model and the ocean wave simulation we developed for the case:
CASE 02 - AIRPLANE COLLISION WITH HIGH TENSION WIRES
A very experienced and well-trained United Airlines pilot was giving his granddaughter a scenic flight in his privately owned Cessna 140A. While flying through a valley they encountered unmarked high tension lines and died as a result of the collision. VISUAL LAW flew three drones to photogrammetrically map 2.5 square miles of the valley and then combined that data with U.S.G.S. topographic data to recreate the flight path of the Cessna. It was critical to prove that the pilot had no chance to recognize the wires before the collision so we visited the scene on the anniversary date of the collision and put a drone up just feet from the wires at the identical time as the collision so that lighting and shadow conditions would match. We then flew the drone backwards along the path the pilot had used and processed the footage so we could play it in reverse at the same speed as the aircraft to duplicate the pilot's view. The result was startling and proved he had less than half a second before the wires were visible.
A very experienced and well-trained United Airlines pilot was giving his granddaughter a scenic flight in his privately owned Cessna 140A. While flying through a valley they encountered unmarked high tension lines and died as a result of the collision. VISUAL LAW flew three drones to photogrammetrically map 2.5 square miles of the valley and then combined that data with U.S.G.S. topographic data to recreate the flight path of the Cessna. It was critical to prove that the pilot had no chance to recognize the wires before the collision so we visited the scene on the anniversary date of the collision and put a drone up just feet from the wires at the identical time as the collision so that lighting and shadow conditions would match. We then flew the drone backwards along the path the pilot had used and processed the footage so we could play it in reverse at the same speed as the aircraft to duplicate the pilot's view. The result was startling and proved he had less than half a second before the wires were visible.
CASE 03 - GHOST SHIP MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL
VISUAL LAW created a 3D interactive model of the Ghost Ship Warehouse for the criminal trial in 2019. The model permits views of the interior prior to the fire, during the fire and its aftermath. We created the model from both drone footage and numerous laser scans.
VISUAL LAW created a 3D interactive model of the Ghost Ship Warehouse for the criminal trial in 2019. The model permits views of the interior prior to the fire, during the fire and its aftermath. We created the model from both drone footage and numerous laser scans.
CASE 04 - SINGAPORE AIR COLLISION IN TAIWAN DURING TAKEOFF IN MONSOON
Attorneys representing victims of the crash of Singapore Air Flight 006 asked VISUAL LAW to recreate the final moments when the plane crashed on takeoff from Taiwan. The visualization was based on photographs from the plane interior taken on an earlier flight and was intended to provide some understanding of what the passengers experienced:
Attorneys representing victims of the crash of Singapore Air Flight 006 asked VISUAL LAW to recreate the final moments when the plane crashed on takeoff from Taiwan. The visualization was based on photographs from the plane interior taken on an earlier flight and was intended to provide some understanding of what the passengers experienced:
CASE 05 - CTE VISUALIZATION (NCAA FOOTBALL)
We have been retained several times to provide visualization of medical processes. One of the more interesting and timely cases involved a claim against the NCAA for the injury and eventual death of Greg Ploetz, a star linebacker for the University of Texas. BELOW is an excerpt from the trial video:
We have been retained several times to provide visualization of medical processes. One of the more interesting and timely cases involved a claim against the NCAA for the injury and eventual death of Greg Ploetz, a star linebacker for the University of Texas. BELOW is an excerpt from the trial video:
CASE 06 - POLICE SHOOTING
We recently were asked to do an analysis of a police shooting in Dallas, Texas. We used footage from five police bodycams, a laser scanner and drone to do an accurate recreation of the crime scene and an analysis of the vehicle movement at the time shots were fired. BELOW is one clip from several we created for trial.
We recently were asked to do an analysis of a police shooting in Dallas, Texas. We used footage from five police bodycams, a laser scanner and drone to do an accurate recreation of the crime scene and an analysis of the vehicle movement at the time shots were fired. BELOW is one clip from several we created for trial.
EXAMPLES OF EMBEDDED MODELS
I also wanted to show you a couple examples of embedded 3D models from cases. Our plan will be to do a really nice version of the Daybell crime scene that you can embed on your website and share on social media. These are just a few examples to get the point across: