At present, very little research has been devoted to investigating the ability of laser scanning technology to accurately measure height from surveillance video. The goal of this study was to test the accuracy of one particular laser scanner to estimate suspect height from video footage. The known heights of 10 individuals were measured using an anthropometer. The individuals were then recorded on video walking along a predetermined path in a simulated crime scene environment both with and without headwear. The difference between the known heights and the estimated heights obtained from the laser scanner software were compared using a one-way t-test. The height estimates obtained from the software were not significantly different from the known heights whether individuals were wearing headwear (p = 0.186) or not (p = 0.707). Thus, laser scanning is one technique that could potentially be used by investigators to determine suspect height from video footage.

References

1Wang Z, Lu L, Bovik AC. Video quality assessment based on structural distortion measurement. Signal Process Image Commun 2004; 19(2): 121–32.
10.1016/S0923-5965(03)00076-6
Web of Science® Google Scholar
2Bolliger MJ, Buck U, Thali MJ, Bolliger SA. Reconstruction and 3D visualisation based on objective real 3D based documentation. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2012; 8(3): 208–17.
10.1007/s12024-011-9288-8
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
3Alberink I, Bolck A. Obtaining confidence intervals and Liklihood Ratios for body height estimations in images. Forensic Sci Int 2008; 177: 228–37.
10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.01.005
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
4Van Den Hout A, Alberink I. A hierarchical model for body height estimation in images. Forensic Sci Int 2010; 197: 48–53.
10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.12.020
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
5Boulay B, Brémond F, Thonnat M. Applying 3D human model in a posture recognition system. Pattern Recogn Lett 2006; 27(15): 1788–96.
10.1016/j.patrec.2006.02.008
Web of Science® Google Scholar
6De Angelis D, Sala R, Cantatore A, Poppa P, Dufour M, Grandi M, et al. New method for height estimation of subjects represented in photograms taken from video surveillance systems. Int J Legal Med 2007; 121: 489–92.
10.1007/s00414-007-0176-4
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
7Edelman G, Alberink I, Hoogeboom B. Comparison of the performance of two methods for height estimation. J Forensic Sci 2010; 55(2): 358–65.
10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01296.x
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
8Zalama E, Gómez-García-Bermejo J, Llamas J, Medina R. An effective texture mapping approach for 3D models obtained from laser scanner data to building documentation. Comput Aided Civil Infrastructure Eng 2011; 26: 381–92.
10.1111/j.1467-8667.2010.00699.x
Web of Science® Google Scholar
9Komar DA, Davy-Jow S, Decker SJ. The use of a 3-D laser scanner to document ephemeral evidence at crime scenes and postmortem examinations. J Forensic Sci 2012; 57(1): 188–91.
10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01915.x
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
10Engelhardt J, Stankiewicz A. Scanning the 3D laser market. Geospatial Solutions 2004; 14(6): 36.
Google Scholar
11Lazic V, Colao F, Fantoni R, Spizzicchino V. Recognition of archeological materials underwater by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Spectrochim Acta Part B At Spectrosc 2005; 60: 1014–24.
10.1016/j.sab.2005.06.014
CAS Web of Science® Google Scholar
12Naether S, Buck U, Raess B, Thali M. Crime scene reconstruction using 3-D scanning and medical imaging technologies. Sci Justice 2010; 50(1): 35.
10.1016/j.scijus.2009.11.037
Google Scholar
13Mills J, Barber D. Geomatics techniques for structural surveying. J Surveying Eng 2004; 130(2): 56–64.
10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9453(2004)130:2(56)
Web of Science® Google Scholar
14Bae K-H, Belton D, Lichti DD. A closed-form expression of the positional uncertainty for 3D point clouds. IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell 2009; 31(4): 577–90.
10.1109/TPAMI.2008.116
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
15Emigh J. New flash player rises in the web-video market. Computer 2006; 39(2): 14–6.
10.1109/MC.2006.66
Web of Science® Google Scholar
16Boze A. IrfanView 3.36. Info Technol Libr 2001; 20(3): 162–3.
Web of Science® Google Scholar
17Lampl M. Further observations on diurnal variation in standing height. Ann Hum Biol 1992; 19(1): 87–90.
10.1080/03014469200001952
PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
18Tillmann V, Clayton PE. Diurnal variation in height and the reliability of height measurements using stretched and unstretched techniques in the evaluation of short-term growth. Ann Hum Biol 2001; 28(2): 195–206.
10.1080/03014460151056419
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar
19Reilly T, Tyrrell A, Troup JDG. Circadian variation in human stature. Chronobiol Int 1984; 1(2): 121–6.
10.3109/07420528409059129
CAS PubMed Google Scholar
20Goode JD, Theodore BM. Voluntary and diurnal variation in height and associated surface contour changes in spinal curves. Eng Med 1983; 12(2): 99–101.
10.1243/EMED_JOUR_1983_012_026_02
CAS PubMed Google Scholar
21Tyrrell AR, Reilly T, Troup JDG. Circadian variation in stature and the effect of spinal loading. Spine 1985; 10(2): 161–4.
10.1097/00007632-198503000-00011
CAS PubMed Web of Science® Google Scholar

Citing Literature

Volume60, Issue6

November 2015

Pages 1582-1588

This article also appears in:

Artifacts in Digital & Multimedia Forensics

Suspect Height Estimation Using the Faro Focus^3D Laser Scanner

Abstract

References

Citing Literature

References

Information

About Wiley Online Library

Help & Support

Opportunities

Connect with Wiley

Suspect Height Estimation Using the Faro Focus3D Laser Scanner

Abstract

References

Citing Literature

References

Related

Information

Suspect Height Estimation Using the Faro Focus^3D Laser Scanner