The technology is based on Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality headset. In a blog post today, Microsoft detailed a crime scene investigation app by partner Black Marble that’s suitable for use in real world policing.
tuServ and protect
The tuServ app helps officers work remotely, monitor crimes in their area and collect evidence when they arrive at a scene. The app, developed with Bedfordshire Police in the U.K., is being billed as a way to reduce evidence contamination, improve police communication and ultimately maximise efficiency.
Officers can place virtual markers on a crime scene to highlight important points. Unlike regular markers, these don’t require physical disruption of the scene, minimising contamination. The police can revisit the 3D representation of the scene anytime they need to, allowing officers to check for missed details or bring new colleagues up to speed with the investigation.
A second component of tuServ, Command and Control, extends the police force’s ability to work remotely. Officers can make demonstrations in the 3D world or send back images of the crime scene. It’s also possible to view officers and evolving incidents in real time on a 3D map of the area, helping commanders understand how units should be deployed in response.
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“As a public order and firearms commander I can say that without doubt [mixed reality]’s use, through tuServ, will revolutionize policing for years to come,” said Nick Lyall, superintendent of Bedfordshire Police. “As a detective I can also say that its ability to scan crime scenes and create a mapped 3D version will allow for a reduction in cross-contamination issues and allow for investigators to visualize in real time the scenes of major crime.”
Mixed reality crime fighting
The technology is an example of how mixed reality could transform the way every industry operates. Mixed reality crime fighting could become the new standard in the future, offering the police a way to respond more effectively to serious incidents. For Microsoft, it’s another way of demonstrating that mixed reality tech is fast escaping the exploratory stage as workplaces begin actively using HoloLens.
“Through the use of HoloLens, employees are able to transform the manner in which they communicate, create, collaborate, and explore to provide a better customer experience, improve business collaboration and much much more,” said Microsoft. “By transforming data into visual information, HoloLens is expanding the horizons for new and exciting applications that can revolutionize the ways we think and work.”
