title: Photogrammetric 3D skull/photo superimposition: A pilot study.
abstract: The identification of bodies through the examination of skeletal remains holds a prominent place in the field of forensic investigations. Technological advancements in 3D facial acquisition techniques have led to the proposal of a new body identification technique that involves a combination of craniofacial superimposition and photogrammetry. The aim of this study was to test the method by superimposing various computerized 3D images of skulls onto various photographs of missing people taken while they were still alive in cases when there was a suspicion that the skulls in question belonged to them. The technique is divided into four phases: preparatory phase, 3d acquisition phase, superimposition phase, and metric image analysis 3d. The actual superimposition of the images was carried out in the fourth step. and was done so by comparing the skull images with the selected photos. Using a specific software, the two images (i.e. the 3D avatar and the photo of the missing person) were superimposed. Cross-comparisons of 5 skulls discovered in a mass grave, and of 2 skulls retrieved in the crawlspace of a house were performed. The morphologyc phase reveals a full overlap between skulls and photos of disappeared persons. Metric phase reveals that correlation coefficients of this values, higher than 0.998-0,997 allow to confirm identification hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: vasantoro@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lubelli
authors.affiliation: Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Donno
authors.affiliation: Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inchingolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering, Politecnico, V.le Japigia, 182; 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lavecchia
authors.affiliation: Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Introna
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010780:Photogrammetry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012984:Software
keywords: 3D Scanning; Personal identification; Photogrammetry; Skull; Superimposition