Abstract
Forensic crash investigation often requires developing detailed profiles showing the location and extent of vehicle damage to identify impact areas, impact direction, deformation, and estimated vehicle speeds at impact. Traditional damage profiling techniques require extended and comprehensive setups for mapping and measurement that are quite labor- and time-intensive. Due to the time involved, this damage profiling is usually done in a remote holding area after the crash scene is cleared. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning technology in consumer handheld electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, holds significant potential for conducting this damage profile mapping in just a few minutes, allowing the mapping to be conducted at the scene before the vehicle(s) are moved. However, there is limited research and even scarcer published literature on field procedures and/or accuracy for these emerging smartphones and tablets with LiDAR. This paper proposes a methodology and subsequent measurement accuracy comparisons for survey-grade terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and handheld alternatives. The maximum root mean square error (RMSE) obtained for profile distance between handheld (iPad) and survey-grade TLS LiDAR scans for a damaged vehicle was observed to be 3 cm, a level of accuracy that is likely sufficient and acceptable for most forensic studies.
Highlights
For severe crashes, agencies investigating the crash often take vehicle position measurements at the scene prior to vehicle recovery and scene clearance
This paper proposes a methodology and subsequent measurement accuracy comparisons for survey-grade terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and handheld alternatives
The methodology presented in this study for point cloud comparison will provide a strong foundation for future evaluations of remote sensing alternatives by public safety professionals as more and more consumer grade Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies become increasingly available in off-the-shelf electronic handheld devices
Summary
Agencies investigating the crash often take vehicle position measurements at the scene prior to vehicle recovery and scene clearance. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Traffic Incident Management (TIM) program observed that primary crashes increase the likelihood of a secondary crash occurring and may impact the safety of public safety agencies and first responders trying to document and clear the scene to restart traffic flow [1]. The FHWA identified that the possibility of a secondary crash rises by 2.8% for every minute a primary crash incident continues to impact the public right of way [2]. Identifying emerging technologies to provide fast and accurate characterization of the vehicle damage on-site reduces this ambiguity during subsequent forensic crash investigation work
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