{"id":3127,"date":"2015-01-30T15:44:36","date_gmt":"2015-01-30T15:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ericjorden.com\/blog\/?p=3127"},"modified":"2015-01-30T15:44:36","modified_gmt":"2015-01-30T15:44:36","slug":"new-forensic-aerial-photographic-method-proving-extremely-valuable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ericjorden.com\/blog\/2015\/01\/30\/new-forensic-aerial-photographic-method-proving-extremely-valuable\/","title":{"rendered":"New forensic aerial photographic method proving extremely valuable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Invaluable<\/strong>, is the best way to describe this forensic method.\u00a0 Drones fitted with cameras taking low-level, aerial photographs\u00a0and video at the scene of an engineering\u00a0failure or personal injury accident.\u00a0 It`s proving to be just that – invaluable, during a forensic engineering investigation.<\/p>\n

I blogged on this method last year, January 15, 2014. (Ref. 1)\u00a0 I’m even more enthused about the technique now.<\/p>\n

Recent use<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ve used this\u00a0photographic method twice in the last few months to gather data and to document conditions at sites in eastern Canada.<\/p>\n

I understand the RCMP are using drones fitted with cameras to photograph traffic accident sites. \u00a0I`m sure in other ways as well.\u00a0 I can imagine they are as enthused as I am.<\/p>\n

Typical low-level, oblique aerial photographs are shown in the Appendix.<\/p>\n

Future plans<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ll definitely take aerial photographs\u00a0at the site of the next slip, trip, and fall accident that\u00a0occurs outdoors that I investigate. \u00a0Also flooding and drainage problems, and fuel oil spills.<\/p>\n

For that matter, I’ll take aerial photographs and video of the scene of any failure in the built or natural environment when the failure is comprised of some outdoor elements. Also photographs of features of interest on the upper levels of structures both outside and inside – where the structure is large and open inside and suitable for flying a drone.<\/p>\n

Low level aerial photographs\u00a0are a big step up – no pun intended, from forensic engineering terrestrial photographic practice in the past.<\/p>\n

For example, old methods from past civil litigation cases….<\/strong><\/p>\n

I used binoculars not too long ago to examine the condition of the second and third levels of a\u00a0building.\u00a0 Ice\u00a0had fallen from the building\u00a0and seriously injured a pedestrian.\u00a0 Boom trucks have also been used to facilitate this type of examination.\u00a0 I`m sure people have repelled down the side of a structure from the roof or upper levels to do this.\u00a0 I used a boom truck and a sea king helicopter\u00a0during one forensic investigation\u00a0to film the re-enactment of a fatal motor vehicle accident.<\/p>\n

Aerial photographic and filming technique<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the photographs and video taken during my recent cases were oblique – tilted at an angle to the horizontal, but some were vertical.\u00a0 Tilt is adjusted by the pilot during flight.\u00a0 The photographs are taken with cameras mounted on a small drone – in this case a four rotor, quad-copter, flown remotely by the pilot on the ground at the site.\u00a0 The drone is also fitted with an altimeter to record height.<\/p>\n

There are six and eight rotor drones available. More rotors increases the control and stability of the drone and the on-board camera.\u00a0 Heavier,\u00a0higher quality cameras with increased resolution can be carried by drones with more rotors.<\/p>\n

I direct the photographs and videos to take from a monitor mounted on a tripod near the pilot.\u00a0 The directions include:<\/p>\n