Hello, and welcome to the introduction to 3D mapping and documentation of crime scenes. My name is Jeff DuVernay, and I'm the instructor of this course. I'm a faculty research associate at the Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies, or AIST, which is a research and education unit located in the School of Geosciences here at USF. I have a background-- I'm a PhD In Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida as well. 

So at the Alliance for Integrated Spatial Technologies, or AIST, we specialize in three-dimensional laser scanning, photogrammetry and other 3D technologies for diverse applications. But a lot of our projects and research focuses on archaeology and cultural heritage aspects. In addition, we also teach a number of workshops related to 3D technologies, including-- one of the workshops we've taught in the past is 3D technology applications for crime scene investigation. 

We've had a number of Florida Department of Law Enforcement, crime scene investigators, and technicians come to our facility to learn about some of the three-dimensional technologies that are out there and are increasingly being incorporated into crime scene documentation efforts. So in this course, you're going to be introduced to a number of three-dimensional technologies and how they can be applied to the documentation and mapping of crime scenes. 

Some of these technologies include a 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, but also even panoramic imaging. And we're going to be discussing some of the ways that either these technologies are presently being applied to the documentation and mapping of crime scenes, but also if they're not, how they can be applied going forward. So in addition to learning about these 3D technology methods that can be used to document and map crime scenes. I'm also going to be telling you different ways to use these data for the purposes of crime scene reconstruction and solving crimes, and some of the ways that these data can actually be brought into the courtroom for those purposes. 

So one of the things I think you're going to be able to take away from this class is you're going to be able to understand the value of 3D technologies in the documentation and mapping of crime scene, and you're going to see that this really represents the future of where crime scene documentation is going. So in addition to being able to appreciate and utilize some of the more traditional techniques, you're going to understand how these 3D technologies can fit in the toolkit of the crime scene investigator. 

So the 3D technology world is an exciting world in which to work. It's exciting because the technology, or aspects of the technology, are always changing, and the applications of these technologies is quite diverse. 

So I hope each of you is as excited to take this course as I am to teach it. It really represents the future of crime scene documentation and mapping. So I hope you enjoy the course.