Forensic Artists awarded £100,000 grant for new equipment

The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification was successfully awarded £100,000 by a charitable trust to update and replace the specialist equipment required to create facial reconstructions.

The grant allowed CAHID to purchase several computers and haptic feedback armatures (virtual arms) giving students the opportunity to touch and feel the digital models onscreen, in our newly fitted haptic suite. The ability to have haptic feedback while turning anatomical layers semi-transparent to checking shape against the underlying skull increases the accuracy of the reconstructions.

Additional equipment has allowed this year’s forensic art students to get much further ahead with their training than in previous years. Only three weeks into the semester, our students progressed from having no experience at all to being able to join mandible to craniums, add tissue depth markers to skulls in preparation for facial reconstruction work, take accurate facial measurements of their 3D scanned models and superimpose images on to 3D models of skulls.

These students have the opportunity to become Forensic artists who aid in the identification of crime victims, missing persons, or human remains. Which can then aid authorities with the apprehension or conviction of criminals.