9th graders are analyzing evidence with 3D scanners, software and 3D printers

May 5, 2014 09:46 GMT  ·  By

Forensics is a very complex and very important part of crime solving, and to become an expert at it, you usually need lots of studying and more than a few years of schooling under your belt. Middle-to-high-school students are showing that even teenagers can help though.

Members of the Richmond County School’s 9th Grade Academy Teen Scene Investigation (T.S.I.) club are investigating crime scenes using equipment procured by Jeff Epps, the head of IT at the middle school.

An HDI Advance R1X 3D scanner from LMI, Geomagics software, 3D Max, and Cube X and Cube 3D printers from 3D Systems are employed. Or, well, were employed, since the group only looked at a hypothetical crime scene.

They scanned a body, finger/hand/shoe prints and then used 3D printing methods to gleam clues from them.

The finger was turned into a virtual 3D Printed Finger Printlock by means of Cubify Sculpt. Then it was 3D printed in the Cube.

I don't really have any trouble imagining this technique being integrated in the practices of police departments and detective agencies. Especially since the resources I’ve listed above aren't particularly expensive, not when you only need one or two of each.

“This is a great way to really explore the process of crime scene investigations – with output that everyone can really see and touch in the real world. 3D tools like this allow the students to really understand something that has often been so inaccessible before,” Epps said.