Chapter 6 - Unmanned aerial systems for the search and documentation of clandestine human remains

Abstract

The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has the potential to revolutionize the search for clandestine human remains in medicolegal death investigations, especially when searching large remote areas. Once the scene is located, UAS can also be used to conduct preprocessing assessment and nondestructive documentation of the scene prior to entry. However, the type of sensor used is dependent on environmental and taphonomic factors. Environmental anomalies caused by the disturbance of soil or the decomposition process may provide the best source for detecting buried or scavenged clandestine human remains. However, the use of UAS to search for clandestine remains and document potential scenes requires an understanding of the technological and operational capabilities and constraints of the systems, the strategies for processing and interpreting spatial, spectral, and temporal data, as well as legal issues associated with over-flight. This chapter reviews UAS and sensor technology and discusses its potential use in the detection and documentation of clandestine human remains.