Forensic Science: Role of Imaging, Sensing, Identification and Authentication Technologies

The development and proliferation of technologies which support the image capture, identification and authentication of biometric markers and individuals, together with sensing/detection technologies provide considerable opportunities, in regard to their potential role in supporting the use and impact of forensic science. Imaging technologies, can be used to support the real time capture of crime scenes and the evidence within, such that the evidence can be subsequently (or potentially real-time) analysed and interpreted. If coupled or integrated with Biometric and other technologies (such as GPS) these combinations could offer the potential to develop systems which provided an ‘alert to crime’ and that could recover, analyse and interpret ‘forensic evidence’; and that would not only automatically report a crime and its location, but also identify and locate the offender. This potential has already been recognised, in relation to the use of CCTV, but there are opportunities to enhance and expand further. These new technologies and methods of data capture provide opportunities to expand the current boundaries of the use of forensic science and the technology used to support it. However, in exploring the potential for further expansion a number areas need to be addressed.