Demonstration shows value of drones at crime scene investigations

A group of companies last month staged a mock murder in Nevada to demonstrate the value of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in crime scene investigation.

The Sundance Media Group—based in Las Vegas and West Jordan, Utah—hosted the demonstration in Henderson, Nevada. Other participants included FoxFury Lighting Solutions, Westwind Unmanned Vehicles, Yuneec Aviation, Pix4D and Autel Robotics. Drones were used to capture forensic evidence at the nighttime crime scene and map it in 2D and 3D for law enforcement use.

Law enforcement agencies, security services and international delegations watched as two drones surveyed the staged crime scene as they would upon arrival. Within minutes, attendees were able to view maps and 3D images, thanks to advanced technology that significantly reduces field and surveying time while increasing an investigation’s accuracy.

Two drone launch pads were positioned at one end of the scene, one for an Autel Evo and the other for a Yuneec H520. The Autel Evo flew for 30 minutes, manually capturing 4k resolution images at 60 frames per second and recording video up to 100 megabits per second. Autel showcased its new LiveDeck technology for the first time, enabling the aircraft footage to be seen live at the Sundance’s Aerial Vehicle Operations Center. Captured data was imported into Pix4DMapper software where it verified the images and began compiling maps and models of the scene.

The demonstration also showed how the combination of portable lighting, drone hardware and Pix4DMapper software significantly reduced field and surveying time while increasing accuracy and safety.

Two drone launch pads were positioned at one end of the scene, one holding an Autel Evo, the other holding a Yuneec H520. The Autel Evo flew for 30 minutes, manually capturing 60 frames per second of 4k resolutions images as well as recording video up to 100mbps. This was the first time Autel showcased their new LiveDeck™ technology, allowing the aircraft footage to be seen LIVE at the Sundance Media Group A.V.O.C. (Aerial Vehicle Operations Center). 

Once the data was captured, it was imported into Pix4DMapper software where it verified the images and began to compile maps and models of the scene that were available for attendees to view on a large monitor within a few minutes.