Evaluation of Purdue University’s 3D Imaging Prototype for Footwear and Tire Impressions

Date September 2022 Overview Supported by two National Institute of Justice (NIJ) awards (2016-DN-BX-0189 and 2019-R2-CX-0069), Dr. Song Zhang and his research team at Purdue University led the development of a fully automated 3D imaging system for footwear and tire…

2022 Update: 3D Imaging Technologies and Virtual Comparison Microscopy for Firearms Examination, A Landscape Study

Date August 2022 Overview The National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), led by RTI International, provides resources that promote the use of technologies in the forensic community. This report is an update to a 2016…

Guidelines for the Use of Terrestrial LiDAR Scanners in Criminal Justice Applications

Date March 2022 Overview Terrestrial LiDAR scanning devices (also known as terrestrial laser scanning devices, TLS) acquire complex geometric data that capture a three-dimensional representation of a scene; this technology is used in criminal justice applications such as documenting a…

Human Factors in Forensic Science Practice Sourcebook

Publication Forensic Science International: Synergy, March 2022 Editors Heidi Eldridge, PhD | RTI International Barbara A. Spellman, JD, PhD | University of Virginia School of Law Thomas Busey, PhD | Indiana University, Psychological and Brain Sciences Working Group Members Paul…

Success Story: LatentSleuth: A Case Study on the Impact of Federal R&D Funding

National Institute of Justice and the Latent Print Research Community Date December 2021 Overview The development of technologies to improve the objective collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence is driven by the multiple stakeholders that make up the forensic science…

FLN-TWG: 3D Imaging for Firearms and Toolmarks

← Back to FLN-TWG Main Page Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG) The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International, formed the Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group…

DNA recovery after sequential processing of latent fingerprints on copy paper

Publication Journal of Forensic Sciences, September 2021 Authors Abigail S. Bathrick, M.F.S. | Bode Technology, Lorton, VA Sarah Norsworthy, M.S. | Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, RTI International, Durham, NC Dane T. Plaza, B.S. | Bode Technology, Lorton, VA Mallory…

Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning Working Group for Criminal Justice Applications, First Meeting Report

Date July 2020 Overview On February 27 and 28 of 2020, The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International, convened the first meeting of the Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning (TLS)…

Success Story: Advancing 3D Imaging for Footwear and Tire Impressions

National Institute of Justice and Purdue University Date May 2020 Overview Shoeprints and tire tracks are common types of impression evidence found at crime scenes. When a shoe or tire impacts a deformable substrate like soil or snow, it can…

2019 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium

Date February 2019 Overview The 2019 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium is intended to promote collaboration and enhance knowledge transfer of NIJ-funded research. The NIJ Forensic Science R&D Program funds both basic or…