Detective Leading Senior Constable Nathan Smorhun puts the scanner to the test. Photo: Nicholas Ward.
ACT police are rolling out new state-of-the-art laser scanners to help them assess crash data faster and more accurately.
The Trimble X9 3D laser scanner is the latest tool in the belts of ACT Policing’s major collision team (MCT).
The $100,000 cameras feature an iridescent mirror that bounces a laser across a scene, while it meticulously scans and categorises the area.
“A 20-minute scan on the old scanners will take about three minutes on a new scanner,” Detective Leading Senior Constable Nathan Smorhun said.
“Which means we’re no longer collecting the least amount of data we possibly can get in order to open the roads quicker.”
The X9 represents a major upgrade on the MCT’s SX10 scanner – survey equipment that needed recalibration every time it moved.
The X9 can adjust itself, allowing crash investigators to save a significant amount of time.
Detective Smorhun said the MCT needed to collect a huge amount of data – so it was important to speed up the scans.
“Each scan scene we do will have about 300-400 million data points we can use and effectively to scale one-to-one with the real world.
“It works similar to the human eye in the fact when we’re walking around, every time we take a step, we’ve changed locations. The way we determine where we are in that is because we recognise certain things from our previous step, and our brain puts it all together.”
The state-of-the-art X9 3D scanning laser creates an ultra-detailed image of a crash scene. Photo: Nicholas Ward.
The final product is a near-perfect recreation of the crash scene that allows police to investigate once the area has been cleared.
Detective Smorhun said this kind of technology wasn’t just important for crash investigation.
He said saving time allowed roads to reopen sooner and helped avoid passers-by being exposed to potentially traumatic scenes.
“If we were still using the old technology, we’d be at scenes for 10-12 hours and the measurements would be nowhere near as precise.”
Senior Constable Holly Hawke said her first experience rolling out the new tech proved highly beneficial.
“I most recently used the new X9 laser scanner at a scene a few weeks ago and it was a huge time saver,” Senior Constable Hawke said.
“With the new scanner, we’re able to set it up quite quickly and the scans are quite fast as well.
“In the same time as the previous scanner would have taken to do one scan, I was able to probably do about five scans.”
Canberra’s major collision team isn’t always first on scene, but it’s vital for gathering evidence and making sure everything’s categorised before cleanup can begin.
Its job is to preserve, document and collect evidence, including taking photographs, scans and witness statements. The team also ensures evidence is not exposed to tampering.
As for advice to the public who witnessed or were part of major collisions – aside from not moving anything at the scene including the common act of lifting up motorbikes – Senior Constable Hawke underlined one priority.
“Safety first,” she said.
“If you’ve been in a collision, the most important thing to do if your vehicle remains on the road is to ensure your own safety before you get out of the vehicle.
“Make sure you’re looking around and aware of your surroundings before you hop out of the car, and rendering first aid is paramount before police arrive.”
