Real-tIme on-site forenSic tracE qualificatioN

Project Information

RISEN

Grant agreement ID: 883116

DOI

10.3030/883116

Project closed

EC signature date 5 May 2020

Start date 1 July 2020

End date 31 December 2024

Funded under

• Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Total cost

€ 6 995 876,25

EU contribution

€ 6 995 876,25

Coordinated by

AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - RISEN (Real-tIme on-site forenSic tracE qualificatioN)

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The RISEN Project aims to provide fast and accurate responses to forensic investigations directly on-site, allowing to direct subsequent investigation activities towards capturing the criminal responsible and preventing further offences. The key objectives of the RISEN project were obtained by: 1) Developing and demonstrating a set of contactless, automated and connected sensors to identify, select and label trace materials, with increased accuracy and a consequent reduction of laboratory time and resources; 2) Processing and sending rapidly acquired in-situ data to a 3D Augmented Crime Scene Investigation (3DA-CSI) System to produce an interactive and accurate 3D recreation of the entire crime scene, featuring the position and labelling of traces and evidence from on-site analyses, and delivering a realistic and immersive visual environment for investigators; and 3) Establishing a digital evidence management system (DEMS) that offers the facility to store, analyze, and visualize sensor data and evidence, supporting investigators to evaluate hypotheses and conduct highly detailed investigations in-situ or remotely, while also allowing for a secure exchange of investigative information among Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The RISEN 3DA-CSI System significantly speeds up the collection and gathering of the most relevant traces from a crime scene, reducing the risk of contamination, and allowing remote access to investigators to visualize the crime scene and proceed with further investigation. Importantly, RISEN’s multi-modal approach ensures the accurate representation of sensor placements, physical evidence, and traces of forensic interest, enabling a precise visualization of the crime scene, and facilitating a better understanding of spatial relationships and event dynamics. For example, the 3D-VR Tool provides a graphical interface for examining the crime scene’s 3D model, and the investigators’ notes using the 3D tool are stored in the 3DA-CSI data repository, being available through web and 3D interfaces (Figure 1). Overall, the RISEN System forms a network-enabled system that securely and efficiently exchanges data through the RISEN API, developed to directly connect the RISEN sensors to the 3DA-CSI System, and standardized to provide access to any authorized sensing component (CWA 18096) (Figure 2). RISEN's standardization activities and successful CWA publication reflect the project's proactive stance in shaping the standards landscape, dedicated to advance forensic science.

The deployment strategy for the RISEN sensors covers the multi-stage examination of the crime scene with a workflow that is adaptable to the specific properties of each crime scene: 1) Operator health and safety (air sampling); 2) Mid-range contactless forensic sensors; 3) Sensors for close-up analysis and off-site analysis after sampling. The first sensor prototypes were successfully tested by the manufacturers in their laboratories and during a measurement campaign in the Netherlands, hosted by NFI, in June 2023. In October 2023, the first RISEN Trials took place in Germany, at the Fraunhofer ICT facility in Pfinztal, broadly demonstrating the achieved RISEN capabilities to relevant end-users. Received LEA feedback inspired the RISEN Consortium to further improve the System, which was again showcased a year later, in October 2024, in the RISEN Final Trials hosted at the RaCIS facility in Rome, Italy.

The RISEN Final Trials accomplished the successful validation of the RISEN System, field-testing the 7 connected RISEN sensors and the RISEN 3DA-CSI System in realistic crime scene scenarios built for purpose (a homicide in a clandestine laboratory for HME and drugs). Representing different use cases, the scenarios developed by the LEA end-users were challenging for the main analytical capabilities of the sensors, for the 3D reconstruction, trace positioning and visualization tool and for the digital evidence management system. Concerning the 3D Reconstruction, high quality point clouds and mesh models were created, delivering a digital 3D visual replica of the crime scene. The positioning chain was fully integrated for the first time, and results show that the tools accurately located the measurements in the given crime scene. The DEMS was tested through the creation of 8 investigation cases and the collection of data and information shared by the 7 RISEN sensors, via the RISEN API. The data was then stored, processed, managed and displayed to support investigation activities. Overall, the RISEN System demonstrated the feasibility of innovative network-enabled on-site sensing forensic investigation tools, identifying, selecting and labelling traces on-site and sending these measurements in real-time to a system that produces an interactive 3D crime scene model and provides instant digitalization and storage of relevant investigative information. RISEN provided LEAs with rapid access to crime scene information, supporting investigations through analysis of visible and invisible traces, correlation among traces, and rapid identification of relevant traces. The development of the RISEN System presented a sophisticated and mature system, incorporating a set of relevant functionalities that considered the valuable contributions, feedback and improvement recommendations from the RISEN LEA end-users.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The RISEN System provides a novel approach to crime scene investigation by enabling real-time examination through an advanced integration of sensor data with a 3D navigable environment. This virtual environment, accessible to all authorized RISEN users, merges state-of-the-art technology with collaborative functionality, facilitating seamless interaction among investigative teams. RISEN expedites forensic investigations and supports effective crime and terrorism-fighting policies, adhering to EU principles and emphasizing human factors and societal aspects, including citizens’ perceptions of security and risk. RISEN introduces an innovative way to perform crime investigations directly on site, bringing:
• Improved health and safety for forensic investigators;
• Rapid and automated trace analysis directly on-site;
• Affordable and efficient 3D reconstruction, 3D modelling and data location management, as well as sensor data collection tools;
• Easy-to-use positioning and calibration tools for accurately and automatically mapping analytical sensor data into a 3D model;
• Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality user interfaces for providing visually rich and immersive tools for data and crime scene examination;
• Modular integration of forensics sensors and other data sources, via the RISEN Sensor API, already a standardized asset;
• Intuitive information layers for visualizing correlated trace information and sensor fusion within the collected data;
• Open architecture, supporting secure and trusted information exchange mechanisms and actionable intelligence within and across LEA organizations, thus reinforcing cross-border investigations;
• Documentation of evidence, presenting a chain of custody from the crime scene to the lab;
• A trustworthy framework delivering harmonized information formats to better support cross-border investigations and admissibility of court-proof evidence, collected with a standardized approach, in compliance with applicable legislation, including fundamental rights, privacy, and data protection, bolstering the European Security Strategy and Model.

3D visualization tool for RISEN crime scene investigation

RISEN Exploitable results and their interconnections