AirWorks 2020: Under 30 Minutes for Crash Reconstruction and Virtual Reality Forensics

Drones' potential for documenting and reconstructing crash situations

Reconstruction of crash scenes is a critical aspect of police operations. In the aftermath of a traffic collision, first responders are frequently confronted with more questions than answers. For justice to be served, culpability to be assigned, and lessons to be learned, the what, why, and how of the issue must be identified.

Drone technology is likely to play a growing part in this process, collecting data that can be used to create comprehensive maps and three-dimensional models of the collision scene. These assets, in turn, can aid in the investigation and analysis of the chain of events leading up to the occurrence.

With any type of data collection operation, the ability to launch a drone, navigate about a location, and record photographs from numerous viewpoints may assist people on the ground in constructing a picture of what's going on below.

GRADD CEO Reza Karamooz walks us through the process of using UAS at an accident site in his Breakout session titled, 'Using UAS at Crash Scenes in 30 Minutes.' His implements? A DJI Phantom 4 Pro, a DSLR camera, and a portable laser point-to-point measuring instrument.

Karamooz’s presentation is based on a simulated collision involving two automobiles. He and a coworker were able to acquire several hundred airborne photographs of the cars and surrounding region in thirty minutes.

Prior to uploading the photographs to a photogrammetry application called RealityCapture, a laser measurement equipment - the Leica DISTO S910 - was used to validate the scale by measuring multiple control locations. Karamooz demonstrates how rapidly aerial and ground information can be integrated to create high-resolution 3D models with a few clicks.

These novel approaches promise to streamline investigators' work and, more crucially, to accelerate the process of recreating accident scenes in the immediate aftermath. Investing excessive time in on-scene investigations depletes the resources available to first responders. Additionally, it puts law enforcement officers at danger of secondary collisions.

After creating the 3D model, Karamooz takes you on a virtual tour of the reconstructed area using GRADD VR. The degree of detail recorded is immediately apparent. Additionally, the possibility of collaboration among many stakeholders as part of the study is significant.