A new quality assurance tool from Leica Geosystems has been recognized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as leading to improved forensics. Created specifically for use with the Leica ScanStation PS20 3D laser scanner, the new Leica Geosystems NIST traceable twin-target artifact definitively confirms the accuracy of Leica ScanStation laser scans while at the scene of forensic investigations.
The ScanStation PS20 is an easy-to-use, compact and portable long-range 3D laser scanner that can capture one million measurement points per second and features an internal digital camera for capturing panoramic photography. The technology is used globally by law enforcement agencies for crime scene investigations, vulnerability and threat assessments, post-blast investigations, police action inquiries, crash investigations and more. The new Leica Geosystems validation tool is designed specifically to help crime scene investigators perform the interim checks that are required by ISO 17025 standards and will aid them in securing the admission of Leica Geosystems laser scanning evidence to U.S. courtrooms. (Learn more about ISO accreditation and the admissibility of laser scanning data here.)
In an article published on its website, NIST cited its close collaboration with Leica Geosystems in the development of this tool and noted the pressure building within the forensics community to have crime laboratories and/or stand-alone crime scene units in the United States adhere to specific standards in their services which require traceability to the International System of Units (SI).
Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Justice and NIST announced the establishment of the National Commission on Forensic Science as part of a new initiative to strengthen and enhance the practice of forensic science and to develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General. The commission will have responsibility for developing guidance concerning the intersections between forensic science and the courtroom and developing policy recommendations. “We are pleased to have NIST acknowledge Leica Geosystems’ contribution to improving forensics” said Tony Grissim, Major Account Manager of Leica Geosystems’ Public Safety Group. “Moving forward, NIST will play an even more important role in defining the standards for our forensic customers and we are working hard to create both the products and the accredited forensic training they need.”
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