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Geoprofiling Moves Into The Limelight

Posted by Hemos on from the hunting-the-hunter dept.

circletimessquare writes "Interesting and timely. A short piece at CNN talks about the software helping to track down the sniper currently terrorizing the Washington DC area. It was the doctoral thesis of a cop, Kim Rossmo, who developed it while walking the beat in Vancouver and reading about the hunting patterns of African lions. Googling, I found an older but deeper piece which mentions more of the tech behind the software, called Rigel. That led me to the website of ECRI, the company that makes Rigel. More good tech there."

11 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. If only life was like UT2003... by davidstrauss · · Score: 5, Funny

    we'd have a trail from every shot of the sniper.

  2. The pattern stops here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It all sounds good, but when i read this "Currently, Rigel runs only on a Sun Microsystems UltraSparc workstation. But ECRI is reprogramming it for use on Windows NT workstations and servers".

    It all lost it's beauty.

    You're running low on virtual memory, pick a smaller town, fewer crimes or reboot yur machine

  3. Not subsonic with a .223 by typical+geek · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's a real small bullet, about as big as a .22 we all grew up with. In order for it to be lethal, it needs to be shot at about 1000 mps (Mach 3 ish).

    It's probably a disaffected, over intellectual loner in high school or college with an M-14 or a bolt action .223 hunting rifle with a scope, who's taking out his feeling of inadequacy and powerlessness against random people. Needless to say, he's never been laid, either.

    Hmm, I just described half of Slashdot. I hope you have your alibis

    1. Re:Not subsonic with a .223 by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nonono, this is clearly the work of some godless hippie liberal who hates America. Clearly the only solution is to invade Iraq!

      --
      [o]_O
  4. programs response by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's Mrs. White in the library with the revolver

  5. Re:Better CNN article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please provide details about how the system works, and how a criminal could circumvent the profile to throw police off the track. I need this information ASAP.

  6. Re:You mean Mini14 by scott1853 · · Score: 5, Funny


    3100 fps *drool*

    Need... new... video... card... 8P

  7. Re:Reaching, aren't we? by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have you ever watched a movie? The bad guy always taunts the hero with an anagram.

    -B

  8. Is it just me? by PerryMason · · Score: 4, Funny

    who developed it while walking the beat in Vancouver and reading about the hunting patterns of African lions

    Is it just me or does anyone else think they might have more chance of catching the guy if cops dont walk the beat reading a book!!

    --
    "I'm tired of all this 'Aren't humanity great' bullshit. We're a virus with shoes" - Bill Hicks
  9. Re:You mean Mini14 by Xenographic · · Score: 2, Funny

    FPS is feet per second here, for all of you who are confused by the term.

    Not that I wouldn't like a video card capable of 3100 fps, though I think it's well beyond overkill...

  10. As opposed to what? by Wee · · Score: 3, Funny
    Just like those assault weapons Clinton banned, boy are those sure missed...like a hole in the head.

    I prefer Defense Weapons. Those Assault Weapons are just too dangerous.

    -B

    --

    Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.