Matching tire tracks on the head using forensic photogrammetry

In the field of the documentation of forensics-relevant injuries, from the reconstructive point of view, the forensic, CAD-supported photogrammetry plays an important role; particularly so when a detailed 3-D reconstruction is vital. This is demonstrated with a soft-tissue injury to the face caused by being run over by a car tire. Since the objects (injury and surface of the tire) to be investigated will be evaluated in virtual space, they must be series photographed. These photo sequences are then evaluated with the RolleiMetric multi-image evaluation system. This system measures and calculates the spatial location of points shown in the photo sequences, and creates 3-D data models of the objects. In a 3-D CAD program, the model of the injury is then compared against the model of the possible injury-causing instrument. The validation of the forensic, CAD-supported photogrammetry, as shown by the perfect 3-D match between the tire tread and the facial injury, demonstrates how greatly this 3-D method surpasses the classic 2-D overlay method (one-to-one photography).