Advanced Technology Drives New Drone and Video Based Forensic Services in NZ

AJ Thompson*

Two Nelson based companies, DroneMate and its sister business Precision Data Technology, are together bringing new technology to the courtroom and providing defense legal teams with leading-edge tools utilizing UAV (drone) based forensic analysis in conjunction with advanced video enhancement and analysis in a manner that is transforming cases and outcomes.

“Technology used effectively can revolutionize any field, and the legal environment is no different,” explains the companies’ Executive Director AJ Thompson. By combining aerially gathered imagery and 3D modelling we are able to use a process called photogrammetry, a sophisticated technique which brings images to life in three dimensions rather than solely relying on flat photographs. While 3D modelling is not new, it has previously required extensive manual labour and time-consuming computer work. “Our innovative methodology has created a rapid and very costeffective process for 3D model creation and its subsequent use for investigation and evidential purposes.”

By creating this digital twin of the crime scene which merges aerial and computer-based technologies into a unified package, DroneMate and Precision Data Technology are able to provide a solution which recreates the scene, makes precise measurements within the model, and is able to explore the environment from various vantage points.

One of the most significant challenges in crime scene investigation lies in presenting a comprehensive picture of an area in a way that leaves little room for interpretation. The digital model created using this technology provides a virtual tour of the crime scene and an experience remarkably close to a site visit, even within the confines of a courtroom and allows the findings to be presented in a manner that resonates with judges, juries, and experts alike.

In addition to this process, the companies have also developed new methods of video footage analysis and enhancement, particularly in how CCTV footage is utilised in criminal cases. The ever-evolving world of digital media produces a staggering array of file formats and sizes, creating a formidable challenge when trying to organize and present evidence even for the most competent videographers. “Our proprietary software process and our team’s skills allow us to transform a massive amount of recorded video footage into a coherent, easy to follow narrative which then allows us to seamlessly follow subjects across multiple cameras and locations while capturing only the relevant details,” says PDT’s Technical Director Jonathan Lopardo. “In addition, we are then able to use AI-driven digital enhancement to uncover and highlight intricate details, especially in low-light settings where they might otherwise remain hidden.”

Experienced Nelson barrister Michael Vesty has worked with DroneMate and PDT in relation to several criminal matters before the courts in the last 12 months, with the company tasked with providing both aerial photography and videography of alleged crime scenes as well as CCTV footage analysis and enhancement. In one case, an element of the evidence presented by the prosecution centred on the privacy or otherwise of a particular location and the creation of the digital model was essential in analysing the scene both for trial preparation and during cross-examination in the trial itself.

In several other cases using CCTV footage, large amounts of video data from both a street scene and inside a nightclub were analysed and enhanced to isolate the process of events critical to the proceedings.

“The footage was a wonderful tool”, says Vesty. “It was engaging, kept people's attention, and helped me emphasise the points I was endeavouring to make. In the cases utilising CCTV data the enhancement of the footage provided me with an advantage in terms of my analysis of the relevant events. In one case, the enhancement was so compelling the footage was shared with the Crown with the result that the three co-defendants were discharged prior to trial.”

These new forensic services developed by the two companies are available nationwide and are proving that technology, when harnessed with skill and expertise can have a transformative effect on both the investigative process as well as the presentation of evidence in the trial itself and can provide an accurate, comprehensive and revealing view of events and locations otherwise unseen.

Additional information including a demonstration of some of the technology involved can be found on DroneMate’s website at https://www.dronemate.co.nz/forensicservices

* AJ Thompson is the Executive Director of Precision Data Technology and DroneMate Limited which offer NZBA members 10% off their products. Visit the NZBA Member benefits pages for information on how to access this discount.