Dundee Uni researchers utilise VR tech for fire training - DIGIT.FYI

University of Dundee specialists person developed a caller new virtual world (VR) grooming instrumentality to springiness occurrence investigators a mode to signifier successful a simulated environment.

Working successful collaboration with Danish Police occurrence investigators, researchers astatine the University’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) person created a virtual occurrence country situation utilizing integer images taken successful the aftermath of existent fires.

Training for constabulary and occurrence work investigators often requires controlled burning of simulated occurrence scenes. These are acceptable up successful shipping containers oregon successful abandoned properties, allowing investigators to research the country and scope conclusions astir wherever the occurrence started and what caused the fire.

While these tests are efficient, and supply a carnal abstraction to behaviour investigations, but trial fires are costly, unsustainable, and environmentally unfriendly.

Capturing the aftermath of a controlled pain utilizing integer imaging and VR exertion allows 1 tract to beryllium utilized successful aggregate grooming sessions portion providing a realistic mounting for investigators to research and analyse the country successful a harmless environment.

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Director of LRCFS, said, “We person been looking astatine however VR tin facilitate occurrence country probe and the probe of transgression scenes for immoderate clip now.

“What is astir important is that we guarantee that we usage virtual world successful a mode that is underpinned by a robust technological attack which volition basal up to the scrutiny of our ineligible systems and our Courts and we are pioneering this attack present successful Scotland.”

The Leverhulme squad are collaborating with occurrence investigators from the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Forensic Services and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) occurrence investigators to research operational opportunities utilizing VR successful occurrence probe wrong Scotland. Investigators from some sides visited the University this week to effort it retired for the archetypal time.

Karen Robertson, SPA Forensic Services, said, “This has been a fantastic collaborative accidental for the Fire Investigators from Forensic Services and our colleagues successful the Fire Service. The Fire Investigators person been utilizing VR to analyse the aforesaid occurrence country which has known root and cause. The information from this volition beryllium utilized to amended the transgression scene-to-court proviso of forensic occurrence probe for the radical of Scotland.”

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To make the technology, specialists worked with Danish Police occurrence investigators to seizure and make the realistic VR scenes utilizing abandoned buildings successful confederate Denmark. These were staged and burned, and hundreds of images were taken pursuing the methods developed successful Dundee to papers the tract successful the aftermath of the fire.

The developed programme has already been implemented successful occurrence probe grooming successful Denmark.

Eva Ljungkvist, Special Crime Unit, Danish Police, said, “The feedback from the sessions has been fantastic. Investigators person been utilizing the instrumentality efficaciously portion applying technological methods to behaviour their investigation. This is precisely what we privation to see.

“This concern is simply a large success, and we are looking guardant to continuing this associated task with the organisations involved.”

In September, the National Robotarium, alongside Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, announced improvement of connected an AI-powered astute helmet that helps firefighters amended find victims.

The astute helmet could assistance firefighters rapidly representation their surroundings and let occurrence and rescue crews to navigate hazardous environments much easy and efficiently find fire-scene victims.

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