{"id":25146,"date":"2024-02-20T15:43:39","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T22:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/?p=25146"},"modified":"2024-02-20T17:39:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T00:39:04","slug":"forensic-mapping-back-to-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/forensic-mapping-back-to-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Forensic Mapping with Laser Tech: Back to the Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By Sgt Richard Maxwell (ret)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"> <i>7\/31\/23 (updated 2\/20\/24)<\/i><\/span><\/h6>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When it comes to the forensic mapping of a motor vehicle crash or crime scene, one of the main rules is the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sarge!) principle. You also need to be accurate in documenting the scene. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I have found over the years, Laser Tech (LTI) has been able to, and still does, meet these primary needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The advent of drones, 3D scanners, and other types of modernized automated systems has many investigators swept up. No doubt, these advanced tools are powerful and useful in their own ways. Still, when it comes to the vast majority of crashes that require police to reconstruct the scene, a lot of these systems are overkill and tend to be cost-prohibitive.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Getting Back to the Basics<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"> of Forensic\u00a0Mapping<\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_25174\" style=\"width: 569px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25174\" class=\"wp-image-25174\" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01-960x711.jpg\" alt=\"Retired SGT Rich Maxwell (left) meets Laser Tech's Vinny Alvino (right) at the Police Security Expo (PSE) 2023 Event\" width=\"559\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01-960x711.jpg 960w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01-480x356.jpg 480w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01-768x569.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PSE_TRAD_23_Vinny_in_Booth_01.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Retired SGT Rich Maxwell (left) visits the Laser Tech booth, with forensic mapping systems on display, Police Security Expo (PSE) 2023 event<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Considering the final product you want to produce is the first step for an at-scene investigator. This will dictate what sorts of mapping equipment<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> you should use. You&#8217;ll draw a basic flat 2D map of the scene to-scale in almost every instance. You can print this out, touch it, and put it in the case folder; believe it or not, many police agencies still use old-school case folders! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2D diagrams also enable crash reconstructionists to produce CAD program sequences in time, distance, and momentum, with all necessary diagrams ready for printing. These 2D diagrams are also very useful in court, especially when they&#8217;re enlarged or used in PowerPoint<\/span><sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00ae<\/span><\/sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Some newer systems, advanced as they are, cannot support these basic needs.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Securing Accurate Crash Reconstruction Measurements<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s a common topic of discussion: What is the measurement accuracy of this forensic<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span>mapping system? Is it more accurate than my other system? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/mapping-kits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color: #da291c;\">Laser Tech&#8217;s crash reconstruction mapping kits<\/span><\/strong><\/a> can achieve a distance accuracy of \u00b11.6 inches, with an inclination and azimuth accuracy of \u00b10.1 degrees. Some will say that&#8217;s too high of a tolerance for distance. Others are quite comfortable with it. Before you decide, l<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">et&#8217;s take a closer look at accuracy when dealing with crash investigation mapping.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>In your first <span data-contrast=\"auto\">crash investigation<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0mapping <\/span>class, they taught you how to measure a scene and draw a scaled diagram by hand.<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Were the tape measures certified? <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Did the fiberglass tapes stretch? <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Was it really a right angle for the coordinate measurement?\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How long was that skid mark? I saw two more feet than you did! <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do we use the longest skid or the shortest skid? Or, do we add and average the length of the skids for our speed calculations?<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25186\" style=\"width: 368px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25186\" class=\"wp-image-25186 \" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-603x960.jpg\" alt=\"3D laser scanners are capable of capturing truly amazing crash scene imagery, but even these advanced systems do not capture everything.\" width=\"358\" height=\"570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-603x960.jpg 603w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-1206x1920.jpg 1206w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-302x480.jpg 302w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-768x1223.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-965x1536.jpg 965w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping-1286x2048.jpg 1286w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3D-Laser-Scanner-for-Forensic-Mapping.jpg 1608w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25186\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">3D laser scanners are capable of capturing truly amazing crash scene imagery, but even these advanced systems do not capture everything.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><strong>Then we drew a scaled diagram at one inch equals ten or twenty feet.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How wide was the pencil point? Six inches, one foot?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So much for accuracy they taught us in class! <\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Let&#8217;s take a look at modern crash reconstruction technology. <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Are you holding your prism pole perfectly plum on the spot? What is your drone&#8217;s lens-to-sensor aspect ratio? What about the angle of view and image distortion? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We dismissed photogrammetry years ago as being so inaccurate that it couldn&#8217;t stand up in court! Even scanners don&#8217;t &#8220;get&#8221; everything. The &#8220;spot&#8221; requires enhancement, which then threatens to change its location, height, and even size.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>None of this equipment is accurate enough to truly measure a critical speed yaw mark on a road surface.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You still have to complete this by hand. Investigators must take measurements on at least two portions of the yaw to record the decreasing radius of the arc for any speed calculations. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Let&#8217;s not forget the sensitivity analysis! One must show the range of high and low speeds based on all the variables involved.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>So, does an inch or two really matter in the long run? <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If the curb line is half an inch off, did it have anything to do with the crash? Nope!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Remember, we draw our diagrams to a scale. It&#8217;s not a scaled diagram of the crash.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Control Your Forensic Mapping Measurements<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\"> with Laser Tech (LTI) Tools<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One of the significant advantages of a Laser Tech mapping system is that <strong>you are in control of the entire process from start to finish<\/strong>.\u00a0 You select the location to set up the station, you decide what evidence to document, <em>and most importantly<\/em>, <strong>you control the number of points to measure.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you need 20 points, you shoot 20 points. If you need 500 points, you shoot 500 points. The system does not decide how many points to map or which points to map. <strong>With Laser Tech mapping solutions, you make all the decisions.<\/strong><\/span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25176\" style=\"width: 1335px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25176\" class=\"wp-image-25176\" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-960x339.jpg\" alt=\"The user controls which points are collected when performing forensic mapping for crash investigation with Laser Tech's QuickMap 3D solution.\" width=\"1325\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-960x339.jpg 960w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-1920x678.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-480x170.jpg 480w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-768x271.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-1536x542.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruPulse-200x-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3D-Forensic-Mapping-system-for-Crash-Investigation-2048x723.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1325px) 100vw, 1325px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The user controls which points are collected when performing forensic mapping for crash investigation with Laser Tech&#8217;s QuickMap 3D solution.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With Laser Tech&#8217;s <span style=\"color: #da291c;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #da291c;\" href=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/product\/quickmap-3d-mapping-software\/\">LaserSoft<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> QuickMap 3D<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> as your data collection application, you can visualize the scene developing before your very eyes. You can even find distances between points and zoom into areas of the scene. Let&#8217;s also not forget that you can fire the laser wirelessly from the tablet! <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You are not relying on an automatic system. You know exactly what your LTI crash investigation mapping system is recording.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Adding to the problem are the many operational limitations and requirements of some newer systems. In plenty of cases, the operator has no control over this. Yes, every system has limitations; but in my experience, the LTI crash reconstruction mapping systems have much fewer limitations than drones or scanners<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Using a Laser Tech (LTI) Crash Reconstruction Mapping System: Overview of Operational Procedures<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><em><strong>Picture a crash or crime scene that requires <span data-contrast=\"auto\">crash investigation<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0mapping<\/span>. You are the investigating officer.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25187\" style=\"width: 436px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25187\" class=\"wp-image-25187 \" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-960x886.jpg\" alt=\"Laser Tech's TruSpeed Sxb forensic mapping kit for crash investigation and reconstruction, equipped with QuickMap 3D.\" width=\"426\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-960x886.jpg 960w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-1920x1772.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-480x443.jpg 480w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-768x709.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-1536x1418.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TruSpeed-SXB-MapStar-TruAngle-QuickMap-3d-TS-SXB-MPTA-QM3D-2048x1890.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laser Tech&#8217;s TruSpeed Sxb forensic mapping kit for crash investigation and reconstruction is equipped with a MapStar TruAngle encoder and the QuickMap 3D app.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Arriving at the Scene<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One of the first things you need to do is determine what evidence requires documentation. This dictates how large the area, or scene, will be. Imagine that you&#8217;re planning to utilize an LTI forensic\u00a0mapping system. Your next step is to select a safe location to set up the station. ideally, you want to pick a spot where all evidence points are visible. If one location won&#8217;t do the trick, you can easily move, or traverse, your system as many times as the scene requires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your LTI mapping station consists of a survey tripod, tribrach, a <a href=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/product\/pm-mapstar-truangle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MapStar<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> TruAngle<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0encoder<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, either a <a href=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/product\/trupulse-200x-laser-rangefinder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TruPulse 200X<\/a><\/span><sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00ae<\/span><\/sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> or <a href=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/product\/truspeed-sxb-laser-speed-gun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TruSpeed SXb<\/a><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> laser rangefinder<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and a tablet with QuickMap 3D<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0running<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Setting up the station takes you about 5 minutes. You can cut that down even further once you become more familiar with the process. <\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Capturing the Scene<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You start shooting the evidence points in one of two ways: you can either shoot the laser to a prism or you can shoot directly to the point or object itself. If shooting to a prism, you&#8217;ll need a teammate to hold the prism pole at each evidence point. With this 2D mapping system, there is no need for you to register the target&#8217;s height. Your Laser Tech system &#8220;flattens&#8221; the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When you &#8220;fire&#8221; the laser, your LTI crash investigation mapping system measures azimuth, inclination, and slope distance all at once. This data displays as a dot, with a sequential number and note, in an X-Y grid within your QuickMap 3D<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0app.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> This makes it easy to see each evidence point you&#8217;ve recorded in the scene. As you record the points, you even have the ability to connect them with a line or arc. This is just the tip of the iceberg of features in QuickMap 3D!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You finish shooting the scene. Now, you can save your work in seven different formats and email them to the required addresses. Did I mention that you don&#8217;t need any cables? You can fire the laser and transfer the data over Bluetooth\u2122 at a range of over 200 feet!<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_25177\" style=\"width: 277px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25177\" class=\"wp-image-25177\" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/QuickMap-3D-QM3D-Screenshot-of-Mapped-Points.png\" alt=\"Numerous CAD programs are out there, and files created in Laser Tech's QuickMap 3D\u00ae will open in all of them.\" width=\"267\" height=\"425\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-25177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Numerous CAD programs are out there, and files created in Laser Tech&#8217;s QuickMap 3D\u00ae will open in all of them.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Back at the Office<\/span><\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You&#8217;re back at the office. You download the files of the scene from your email and import the appropriate file(s) into your CAD program.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From here, you basically connect the dots to draw the scene. You can add features as needed and the diagram can be as straightforward or as elaborate as you want to make it. Sometimes the aforementioned K.I.S.S. principle works here too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Numerous CAD programs are out there, and the files you&#8217;ve created in QuickMap 3D\u00ae<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong> will open in all of them.<\/strong> I have found FARO<\/span><sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00ae<\/span><\/sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Zone 2D to be a very user-friendly program. It comes with more features than you might expect at its selling price! It also does not require a high-end gaming computer to run the software and will run on almost any modern computer or laptop.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Conclusion<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I discussed dealing with a crash scene, but I would like to mention Laser Tech&#8217;s TruPoint 300<\/span><sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00ae<\/span><\/sup><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> forensic mapping system briefly. It is a smaller total station system that can map both indoor and outdoor scenes. It uses the same tablets and QuickMap 3D <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">software as the mapping systems discussed above.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You get measurements by placing the red dot aiming feature at the evidence point. Just like other Laser Tech crash reconstruction mapping systems, each shot records the same three types of measurements outlined above. It also measures in 2D or 3D.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>One of the side benefits of this system is an accuracy of \u00b11 mm (\u00b10.04 inches) for distance measurements. This makes it a perfect tool for measuring the crush-profile of a vehicle.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1808\" style=\"width: 445px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1808\" class=\"wp-image-1808 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/QM3D_TruPoint_System_004_Blocks.png\" alt=\"Laser Tech's TruPoint 300 forensic mapping system for crash reconstruction achieves\u00b11 mm (\u00b10.04 inches) distance accuracy.\" width=\"435\" height=\"345\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1808\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laser Tech&#8217;s TruPoint 300 forensic mapping system for crash reconstruction achieves\u00b11 mm (\u00b10.04 inches) distance accuracy.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Some Additional Takeaways on Laser Tech for f<span data-contrast=\"auto\">orensic<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0mapping<\/span>:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>All the costs are upfront<\/li>\n<li>Typically, these upfront costs are much less than the other systems<\/li>\n<li>There are no back-end annual fees for software, cloud storage, and additional hidden fees<\/li>\n<li>There are no governmental licensing or drone flight insurances to worry about<\/li>\n<li>It does not take twenty minutes to an hour to render a scene before you can start working on the diagram<\/li>\n<li>Measuring the average crash scene in its entirety can take less than an hour<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Several goals present themselves when you investigate a crash scene. One of them is minimizing roadway closure time, which makes life easier for everyone involved. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Laser Tech&#8217;s crash investigation mapping systems have the capability to quickly and easily produce the data to make a &#8220;basic&#8221; map.\u00a0 Still, they can produce detailed, extensive 3D measurements to achieve more than basic maps.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Just remember, K.I.S.S.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Sgt Richard Maxwell (ret) 7\/31\/23 (updated 2\/20\/24) When it comes to the forensic mapping of a motor vehicle crash or crime scene, one of the main rules is the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sarge!) principle. You also need to be accurate in documenting the scene. I have found over the years, Laser Tech (LTI)\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":25173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[393,391,392,389,415,170,172,419,413,416,417,418],"class_list":["post-25146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-traffic-safety","tag-crash-analysis","tag-crash-investigation","tag-crash-investigation-mapping","tag-crash-mapping-tools","tag-crash-reconstruction","tag-crash-scene-investigation","tag-crash-scene-reconstruction","tag-documenting-crash-scenes","tag-forensic-mapping","tag-laser-measurement-tools","tag-vehicle-crash-analysis","tag-vehicle-crash-reconstruction"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Forensic Mapping with Laser Tech: Back to the Basics - 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