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This Robot Collects Fingerprints

Posted by timothy on from the maybe-autographs-too dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "When police officers found suspicious packages today in an airport or a train station, they destroyed them immediately, along with potential fingerprints on them. A new robotic device, dubbed RAFFE (short for "Robot Accessory for Fuming Fingerprint Evidence), developed by scientists from the University of Toronto (U of T) and the University of Calgary, offers a solution to this problem. Mounted on an ordinary robot, it will reveal fingerprints by releasing Super Glue on the object. Then it will take pictures of these fingerprints. The Calgary Police Service is already using RAFFE for field tests. This overview contains more details and extra references."

6 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Beverly Hillls Cop, too! by jrj102 · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Wow! A robotic Axl Foley! (I am surprised to hear that super glue actually works to pick up fingerprints.)

    Seriously, though... do we need a robotic fingerprint gatherer? Doesn't it make more sense to use robots in more dangerous assignments, and leave the forensics to human officers?

    --- JRJ

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    jrjBlog
    1. Re:Beverly Hillls Cop, too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      So what happens when it comes across a suspicious white package? Are we going to see white packing paper and boxes outlawed?

  2. Will the evidence hold up in court? by gevmage · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder how this is going to hold up in court? Are digital photographs of the fingerprints (I assume that's how the pics are taken) submittable as evidence in a court of law?

    I think it's a terrific idea, but the first time it's used, there's going to be a huge fight about the guarantee of authenticity of the prints.

    --
    Craig Steffen
    http://www.craigsteffen.net
  3. Didn't Eddie Murphy do this? by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In one of his cop films? And here I thought it was just Hollywood being typical (i.e. getting science and technology incorrect)

    Who knew, all these years, that super glue *does* pick up fingerprints?!

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    So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
  4. Re:New challange for bomb makers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It would be simpler to build a bomb which has a magnetic switch so that it can detect metal nearby. Detecting chemical fumes could be pricey, but magnets and microswitches are cheap.

  5. Re:Christmas presents by DebianRcksLindowsLie · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So just exactly how does one put super glue into a squirt gun without gumming it up?

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    Lindows Steals Copyrighted Art and Promotes Porn