Australian Police Deploy 3D Crime Scene Scanner

angry tapir writes "Police in the Australian state of Queensland will employ a handheld laser scanner that can be used to map crime scenes, including in areas where there is no GPS reception. The police will use the Australian developed Zebedee laser scanner: A LiDAR scanner that is mounted on a spring. As a user walks around, the spring moves and the scanner captures the surrounding area. Software processing then uses the data to construct a 3D model. Previously the technology has been used to capture areas of cultural significance, such as the interior of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. As an added bonus, the Zebedee looks ridiculous when in use."

Comments

I just watched the video

[93 Escort Wagon]

I swear, sometimes it seems like electrical and computer engineers are on a mission to make everyone else look as socially inept and awkward as they are.

I hope someone's recording the first time some guy is walking around with that Zebedee and happens to approach a group of attractive women... the jokes will write themselves!

First use:

[The Archon V2.0]

Checking for any jack-in-the-box crime near the Magic Roundabout.

Belt Buckle Mounting Option, Please!

[Kevoco]

Because my, um....

Cave mapping

[aardvarkjoe]

My first thought was that this would be a really cool method of mapping caves. It turns out that this system has already been put to that use (http://www.lidarnews.com/content/view/9581/2/).

I wonder how long it will be before this kind of thing is accessible to individuals.