Article Excerpt: "For many years, folding rulers, tape measures and black and white photography were the standard tools of the trade for collision reconstruction engineers. Armed with these tools, experts collected as much data as possible to evaluate a collision sequence. In those days, as it does today, the quality of the data collected directly affected the accuracy and the depth of the analysis. However, conventional data collection tools limited the quality of the recorded data. Typical problems encountered by collision reconstruction specialists included the difficulty associated with re-creating realistic representations of a collision area and vehicle(s), as well as performing diagnostic examinations of vehicles and measuring roadway curvature, elevations, roadway friction factors, illumination levels and vehicle dimensions. New technology, however, has provided forensic surveyors and engineers with the tools to address these and other reconstruction needs. Through the specific utilization of cutting-edge laser scanning technology, engineers and surveyors can now collect numerous measurements cost-effectively, with unprecedented accuracy, at the speed of (laser) light. This new technology has the ability to rapidly advance the field of forensics—not just in the area of collision reconstruction but in any discipline that requires precision measurements."
To read more of the POB article, "A Crash Course in Forensic Scanning," follow the link below.