LUCIA Forensic

Systems

Introduction
With the wide range of daily tasks connected with
image documentation and analysis, criminology
represents an ideal field for applications of computer assisted image archiving and analysis. The
specialized LUCIA Forensic system was designed,
constructed, and continues to be developed in
tight cooperation with various forensic laboratories and forensic science institutes. Suggestions
and requirements of criminalistic experts have
resulted in several modules and specialized functions.

LUCIA Forensic is used worldwide

Laboratory Imaging entered the forensic applications development in 1993. Since then, we sold
more than 150 systems in the Czech Republic, Belgium, Romania, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Poland,
Great Britain and China. Our main users are police forensic laboratories (Czech Rep. more than
50 systems, Belgium 27 systems, Romania more
than 70 systems, BKA Wiesbaden). Other users
are from customs, banks (European National Bank,
Belgium National Bank) and police schools. LUCIA
Forensic team is flexible. We organize meetings
and courses for our users. Also a very good technical support is provided.

Special forensic devices:

LUCIA Forensic systems consist not only from the
software, but also special devices are used. For
example: spectrometers, bullet and cartridge scanners, special solutions for multispectral signatures
analysis and of course different optical devices
such as: microscopes, macroscopes, cameras, light
sources, light guides, filters, repro stands and
other.

FEATURES OF LUCIA FORENSIC SOFTWARE

Capturing of images, image documentation
Live image from different cameras can be used.
LUCIA system controls the camera and stores images to the disc. Live scene from the camera is displayed on a monitor. Digital photo cameras can be
also used, captured images from a digital photo
camera can be opened in LUCIA. Existing images
can be enhanced, annotated, printed or organized
to user designed databases.

Picture 1 Album with captured images

Comparisons of two images

Two images can be loaded to the actual and reference picture and compared. It is possible to
choose from several comparison modes such as:
overlayed (e.g. used in documents and signatures
analyses), vertical, horizontal (ballistics, toolmarks),
chopper, red-green, and binary masked. If the
compared objects do not have the same size
(captured under different magnification), it is possible to stretch the images to the same size.
Special comparison techniques can be used as
demonstrated on the picture 5, where several bullet pictures from the same gun were subsequently
opened and compared.
Picture 2 Horizontal comparison

Picture 3 Overlay comparison

Picture 4 Vertical comparison

Picture 5 Multiple pictures comparison

Picture 6 Interactive measurement example

Interactive measurement
The system can be size-calibrated for different
magnifications. The real size of a one pixel is de-

fined during the calibration process. The calibration

can be also done on an individual picture, where
the scale is present. It is possible to interactively
measure real sizes and angles on a calibrated image.
The measured results can be inserted as annotations to the image. It is also possible to generate
the electonical rulers. An example of a ruler and
interactive measurement can be seen on picture 6.

Shueprints system
This is a special system for shoeprints capturing
and investigation. It consists from a repro stand
with camera and lights, a lightguide for flat enlightenment, computer, printer and LUCIA Forensic
software. At first an image is captured. Then contrast enhancement is done, and interesting parts of
the picture are kept. For comparison of shoeprints
binary segmentation can be used. A binary image is
generated from the test shoeprint and this image is
compared with the image of crime-scene shoeprint. The special printing function enables printing
in a defined scale; the shoeprint can be for example
printed in a scale 1:1.

Picture 7 Photo of the device

Picture 9
Binary overlay comparison the red
image of the segmented control
shoeprint is overlayed with the control shoeprint

Picture 8 Control shoeprint (left) and the shoeprint from the crime-scene (right)
Picture 11
Another example
of binary contour
comparison

Picture 10 Binary contour comparison, contours are displayed from the control shoeprint

Chopper

Difference

Binary Mask

Red-Green

Overlay

Horizontal

Vertical

Both Images

Reference

Actual

Picture 12
Screenshot of a
comparison toolbar

BullScan system
BullScan system consists of a special motorized
device, digital camera, PC, LUCIA software and
module for driving the device. This system enables
to scan the shell of the bullets with a bullet diameter in the range from 7 mm to 15 mm. The cartridge cases can be scanned in the sizes from 7 to
22 mm.
The bullet shell is 360 degrees rotated and scan
results in a high resolution picture. Two shell pictures can be conveniently compared. White LED
ring light enables to enlighten the scene from different angles ant choose the optimum illumination
angle. Further, it is possible to combine different
illuminations into one image via maximum, minimum and mean intensity values projections.

Picture 13 Photo of the device (detail, simulated picture)

High resolution cartridge case images can be

scanned. It is also possible to compare two cartridge case images. Special technique enables to
create 3D cartridge case reconstructions.
Scanned images can be organized in the user databases. We are working on sharing the images over
the network. The big challenge is the automated
searching in the database based on markers similarity.

Picture 15 3D reconstruction of marks on a cartridge case

Picture 14 Image of captured bullet shell

Signatures measurement module

Signature module is an additional software plugin
designed for manual measurement of signatures
and for measurement statistics. First a measurement template must be defined on a signature.
Software enables to measure the length (e.g. total
signature length, distances between letters, etc.),
angle (signature angle, different letters angle),
count and density. The measurement template is
stored and different signatures can be measured by
the use of a one template. As a result, there is generated a comparison data table with signature
length, angle and density values and with corresponding measurement statistics.

Picture 17 Ink density pseudo-color visualization

Database module
This module enables to create image databases
with user defined structure. Various images can be
organized in the database. It is also possible to
search images by the keywords as well as sort and
group them according to database records. Web
DB software enables to publish the database on
the internet or intranet and browse it with a regular internet browser.

Picture 16 Comparison of two signatures

Picture 18 Window with a sample firearms database

Customized systems for spectral imaging

Laboratory Imaging has build last year several customized devices for visible and near infrared document and signature spectral analysis. These systems are suitable for advanced signature analysis
purposes and well as for special tasks connected
with multispectral document analysis.

Picture 19
An overlay of two
inks captured in
visible region (top
image) and near
infrared region
(bottom).
The second ink
(FORENSIC) has
another absorption and can be
visualized in near
infrared region.

Spectroscopy module
LUCIA Spectroscopy module can work with
Ocean Optics and Avantes spectrometers. It is
possible to display live spectra, store them, compare them and make spectral colorimetric measurements. LIM delivered several systems with
image and spectra synchronization. Light is divided into two parts by a optical double port and
one part goes to camera and another to spectrometer. Live image from camera and live signal
from spectrometer are displayed together.
Holograms customized solutions
We created a customized solution for holograms
analysis. The hologram is illuminated by a laser
light under different angles. The illumination angles
alpha and beta are adjusted by a goniometer. Series of monochrome images for varying angles alpha and beta are taken. They are reconstructed by
LUCIA software to a color image. The color is
assigned to the pixel according to the interference. The another possibility is to compose high
resolution images of holograms from multiple image frames.
In the moment the device is not motorized and
must be operated manually. In LIM, we plan to
further improve this solution and build a special
system for holograms examination.
Images not taken by LIM were reproduced with a kind permission of the Institute of Criminalistics Prague and Forensic
Expertise departments of the Police Czech Rep. and Belgian
Federal Police

Picture 22 Image taken under angle alpha 28 degrees

Picture 20 Microscope with double port for spectroscopy

Picture 21 Composed hologram image

Picture 23 Image taken under angle alpha 33 degrees

Laboratory Imaging s.r.o., Za Drahou 171/17, CZ, Prague 10 Hostiva

Tel: (+420) 272 081 400, Fax: (+420) 271 732 657
Email: forensic@lim.cz, Web: www.lucia-forensic.com