stusic
2007-06-28, 03:12 PM
A little local news:
State troopers learn animation to re-create accidents
With a few clicks of a mouse, Georgia State Patrol trooper Brandon Stone sends a blue Ford Taurus careening through a brown truck on his computer screen.
They don't quite collide yet, but Stone expected to learn how to make them actually hit each other later Wednesday afternoon.
"This is the first time we've actually put cars wrecking. You know, the cool stuff," he said.
Stone is one of eight Georgia State Patrol officers in the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team who this week are finishing up training in forensic animation at Central Georgia Technical College in Macon.
At the end of their training, officers will be able to create animations and 3-D diagrams on a computer program, using evidence collected at the scene of a traffic fatality or crime. The animation can be used in the prosecution of cases to reconstruct a scene for a judge or jury, said GSP Sgt. Scott Short, support services sergeant for the reconstruction team.
"This is an illustration of our version of what the evidence tells us," he said.
For example, the animation could show how an occupant moved within a vehicle and suffered an injury, he said.
"Once our capabilities come to be known, we anticipate we'll get requests from GBI, from other local agencies (and) from prosecutors," Short said.
The Georgia State Patrol will be the only law enforcement agency in the state to have this training and technology, he said, and is one of few in the country with it.
"We're expecting cases from outside the state to come to us," he said.
Initially, forensic animation only will be used for traffic incidents involving fatalities, although later on it could be used in other cases. For example, it could demonstrate how a bullet moves through the body of a homicide victim.
The eight troopers in training are from offices in Forsyth, Valdosta, Calhoun and Athens. Each of those posts will be equipped with the necessary computers and software at a cost of $25,000 for each location, Short said.
Since January, officers have been receiving computer training from Central Georgia Tech instructors, learning how to use different editing and compositing software, said Jeff Cope, program chairman of the drafting department.
Last week, Sgt. Francisco Carrera, lead animator for the Illinois State Police, arrived to tie together all that work. Later this summer, Cope will train the officers for one week in 3-D animation, he said.
Illinois has been doing forensic animation for about 10 years and is a leading agency in the field, Short said.
The trend is slowly catching on, said Carrera, who received training from the FBI.
In "today's society, we're much more visually driven," he said.
This is due in part to big movie blockbusters with impressive special effects, he said. As another generation moves forward that is comfortable with computers and video games, he said, forensic animation will grow.
Forensic animation just now is starting to become more prevalent in criminal cases, Short said. Before, it was mostly seen in civil court.
Private companies already provide forensic animations for those who can afford it, but that often does not include prosecutors on a budget.
In one civil case, $100,000 was paid for three 15-second animation clips, Short said.
Stone said learning the animation is difficult but worthwhile.
"This week has made us a lot more comfortable to do this," he said. "We'll be ready to roll."
Source of the story can be found here (http://www.macon.com/198/story/77028.html).
State troopers learn animation to re-create accidents
With a few clicks of a mouse, Georgia State Patrol trooper Brandon Stone sends a blue Ford Taurus careening through a brown truck on his computer screen.
They don't quite collide yet, but Stone expected to learn how to make them actually hit each other later Wednesday afternoon.
"This is the first time we've actually put cars wrecking. You know, the cool stuff," he said.
Stone is one of eight Georgia State Patrol officers in the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team who this week are finishing up training in forensic animation at Central Georgia Technical College in Macon.
At the end of their training, officers will be able to create animations and 3-D diagrams on a computer program, using evidence collected at the scene of a traffic fatality or crime. The animation can be used in the prosecution of cases to reconstruct a scene for a judge or jury, said GSP Sgt. Scott Short, support services sergeant for the reconstruction team.
"This is an illustration of our version of what the evidence tells us," he said.
For example, the animation could show how an occupant moved within a vehicle and suffered an injury, he said.
"Once our capabilities come to be known, we anticipate we'll get requests from GBI, from other local agencies (and) from prosecutors," Short said.
The Georgia State Patrol will be the only law enforcement agency in the state to have this training and technology, he said, and is one of few in the country with it.
"We're expecting cases from outside the state to come to us," he said.
Initially, forensic animation only will be used for traffic incidents involving fatalities, although later on it could be used in other cases. For example, it could demonstrate how a bullet moves through the body of a homicide victim.
The eight troopers in training are from offices in Forsyth, Valdosta, Calhoun and Athens. Each of those posts will be equipped with the necessary computers and software at a cost of $25,000 for each location, Short said.
Since January, officers have been receiving computer training from Central Georgia Tech instructors, learning how to use different editing and compositing software, said Jeff Cope, program chairman of the drafting department.
Last week, Sgt. Francisco Carrera, lead animator for the Illinois State Police, arrived to tie together all that work. Later this summer, Cope will train the officers for one week in 3-D animation, he said.
Illinois has been doing forensic animation for about 10 years and is a leading agency in the field, Short said.
The trend is slowly catching on, said Carrera, who received training from the FBI.
In "today's society, we're much more visually driven," he said.
This is due in part to big movie blockbusters with impressive special effects, he said. As another generation moves forward that is comfortable with computers and video games, he said, forensic animation will grow.
Forensic animation just now is starting to become more prevalent in criminal cases, Short said. Before, it was mostly seen in civil court.
Private companies already provide forensic animations for those who can afford it, but that often does not include prosecutors on a budget.
In one civil case, $100,000 was paid for three 15-second animation clips, Short said.
Stone said learning the animation is difficult but worthwhile.
"This week has made us a lot more comfortable to do this," he said. "We'll be ready to roll."
Source of the story can be found here (http://www.macon.com/198/story/77028.html).