Toward Collaborative, Web-Based 3D Environments for the Investigation, Analysis, Annotation and Display of Virtual Crime Scenes

Modern day crime scene investigation methods are continually being enhanced by the application of new technologies used to better analyze crime scene data and improve the presentation of such data in the courtroom, helping to solve and prosecute crimes. This paper describes a new system called IC-CRIME that integrates several new technologies to meet both of these needs. IC-CRIME employs laser scanning to produce realistic 3D models of a crime scene which it then incorporates into a 3D game environment. IC-CRIME creates an integrated platform that encourages investigators and forensic experts to view, explore, and annotate these models at any time from any web browser. A key goal of the system is to expand opportunities for collaboration between professionals whose geographic locations and time commitments would otherwise limit their ability to contribute to the analysis of the actual crime scene.