Capture once. Measure, analyse and revisit the scene for years.
Artec 3D scanners record footwear impressions, wound patterns, bullet trajectories and entire scenes in accurate, contactless 3D — before the scene is cleared and before the evidence degrades. One dataset carries the case from the first hour to the courtroom.
No sensitive case information required.
Contactless captureSafe for victims, officers, and fragile evidence.
Full-colour 3DPhotorealistic detail with true-to-life colour.
Scene-to-micro evidenceFrom large scenes to the smallest items.
Standard export formatsE57, OBJ, PLY and more for seamless workflows.Organisations featured in documented Artec 3D forensic applications and published studies.
Pick what you work with and we'll show the scanners that fit it best. The right choice depends on scene size, required detail and field conditions.
Best overallArtec Ray IILong-range capture · up to 130 m
Artec LeoFast handheld captureBest overallArtec LeoCable-free · under an hour per vehicleArtec Ray IIWhole-site context around the vehicle
Artec EvaPanel and interior detailBest overallArtec LeoUntethered at the scene
Artec Spider IIWound and bite-mark detailArtec Eva11 simulated injuries in 26 minutesBest overallArtec Spider IIAccuracy up to 0.05 mmBest overallArtec Spider IIHandheld detail at 0.05 mm
Artec Micro IIAccuracy to 0.005 mm on the benchAccording to FBI clearance data for 2019, 55% of violent crimes and 83% of property crimes went unsolved in the US. Traditional forensic documentation — photographs, hand measurements, dental stone casts — was never designed for the speed and complexity modern crime scene investigation demands.
A photograph taken from the wrong angle misrepresents the spatial relationship between a weapon and a victim. A footwear impression cast takes 24 to 48 hours to harden and can still crack. A vehicle accident scene sits on a highway for hours while investigators work through documentation backlogs. All of it creates gaps in evidence that prosecutors have to fight around — or can't overcome at all.
3D scanning for crime scenes addresses this at the source: the scene's dimensions and surfaces are captured as a measurable record before anything is moved or touched.
Two points that look close in a photograph can be metres apart. Perspective flattens depth and hides what is behind an object. 2D data alone leaves an important spatial question open, and defence counsel knows exactly where to press.
Tape measures, sketches and reference markers are only as reliable as the hand holding them. Two investigators can record the same distance differently, and neither result can be reproduced once the scene is released.
Capturing, photographing, sketching and measuring on site — plus drying and rebuilding casts at the office — can take days. That is time the scene stays exposed and your team stays tied up.
Collections of photos are difficult to navigate, measure or share. A 3D model can go to a prosecutor, an expert or a laboratory anywhere in the world in minutes, and it is still measurable when it arrives.
Contactless scene capture: capture detailed 3D data without touching or moving evidence.
Measurements after release: measure any point, distance, area or angle long after the scene is cleared.
Shareable 3D documentation: secure, accurate and easy to share with teams, experts and in court.
1. CaptureCollect accurate 3D data on scene with minimal disruption.
2. VerifyCheck coverage and quality before leaving the scene.
3. ProcessAlign, clean and colour the data in Artec Studio.
4. MeasureTake precise measurements and annotations.
5. ArchiveStore in a tamper-evident, scalable repository.
6. PresentShare 3D models, images and reports in court or with partners.These are documented outcomes from published Artec case studies and a peer-reviewed university comparison, not claims — reported by the agencies and researchers who deployed the scanners.
Nothing is cast or moved, and most surfaces need no spray; glass still does. The evidence is documented as found.
In one published case, vehicle scans fell from 3–4 hours to under one, and the team left confident the capture was complete; processing followed at the office.
Take the measurement you did not know you needed, months after the scene was released.
One model reaches prosecutors, experts and laboratories worldwide without losing accuracy.
Not every 3D scanner is built for crime scene investigation. These are the capabilities that decide whether one belongs in a forensic kit.
Artec Ray II captures up to 2 million points per second, recording the geometry of a room or an outdoor scene day or night; its colour imagery needs light. Each scan position takes about 1.7 minutes (2.7 with colour), and a room typically needs two or three positions. In a Dutch police exercise, Artec Leo recorded a mannequin and its surroundings in 5 minutes. That's the difference between finishing before a scene is cleared versus scrambling to catch up.
Every Artec forensic scanner captures evidence without physical contact — no markers, no calibration targets required in the scene. Bloodstain patterns, footwear impressions, bullet holes: they're documented exactly as found. Because the scanner never touches the evidence, there is no contact to explain in court. An NIJ-funded landscape study has compared commercially available 3D crime scene scanners, with their uses, benefits and limitations.
Artec Studio software turns raw scan data into dimensionally accurate 3D models. Investigators can take precise measurements between any two points in the scene, reconstruct trajectories, overlay data from multiple scans, and export to standard forensic and CAD formats. The same 3D dataset supports the initial investigation, expert witness reports, and courtroom presentation — no rescanning, no reconstruction from memory.
Forensic 3D scanning produces measurable, repeatable data. With a validated method and documented processing, the other side can re-check the measurements. In a University of Toronto study, documenting 11 simulated injuries on a live participant took 26 minutes with Artec Eva against 54 for photography and manual measurement, and the colour model could be measured along curved skin. Scan models from Artec customers have been used in criminal cases, including a UK case where a scan-based report helped the defence and the defendant received a reduced sentence.
Documented forensic workflows with measurable results.
“Artec has truly changed the face of forensic anthropology with Space Spider, Leo, and Ray. I’ve integrated Artec’s solutions into my daily field work as well as my regular and special classes for investigators, law enforcement officers, and college students, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular.”
Read the full case“With Leo, we get highly accurate scans that provide more than enough geometry data for any analysis we need to conduct. And then you add in the photo texture to make it real.”
Read the full caseSpecifications say what each scanner can do. This is what each one is for.
Leo records a body or a bullet hole in minutes — in a Dutch police exercise, a mannequin and its surroundings took five. No laptop, no cables — investigators can move freely around the scene. The built-in touchscreen shows scan coverage in real time, so gaps can be filled before leaving the scene.
Eva was the scanner used in the University of Toronto comparison with forensic photography — documenting 11 simulated injuries on a live participant in 26 minutes vs. 54 for photography and manual measurement. The scanner investigators reach for when they need reliable, high-resolution colour 3D of evidence at a crime scene, without the complexity of a LiDAR system.
When evidence needs fine detail from a handheld scanner, at up to 0.05 mm — bite marks for odontology, tool marks on a lock cylinder, detailed bloodstain patterns on textured surfaces — Spider II is the right choice.
Micro II records small evidence — cartridge cases, fragments, teeth — on an automated turntable with accuracy up to 0.005 mm. The item is fixed on the platform and turned over once for its underside; the examiner measures and documents on the model.
A forensic 3D programme depends on more than the scanner. Validation, operator training, data handling and procurement support decide whether the workflow holds up across real investigations.
Validation comes first: reference objects of known dimension scanned under your conditions, repeatability across operators, and an SOP that fixes how capture, processing and verification are done on every case. We support the study design and the documentation your accreditation body expects.
We provide onboarding, hands-on scanning practice and Artec Studio processing training. Train-the-trainer options help you build internal expertise, so competency stays with your team as cases and people move.
We cover handling of raw and processed files, access control and storage. You can work in offline or controlled environments, with retention policies and use backups. We also provide shareable formats for collaboration with prosecutors or experts.
We assist with evaluation planning, matching the right system to your budget, software and release schedules. We help with test criteria, budgetary quotes and supporting documentation for tender approvals or formal tender requirements when needed.
Document the method, preserve the source data, and make every measurement reproducible.
These questions come up in nearly every evaluation conversation.
Capture is learned in a day of hands-on training with an Artec partner; processing skills build over the first supervised cases. The handheld scanners give real-time coverage feedback on screen, so operators can see what they have captured as they work. Forensic anthropology programmes report that students pick up the workflow quickly.
Yes, for documenting tool marks, bite marks and impressions: Artec Spider II reaches 3D accuracy up to 0.05 mm and resolution up to 0.05 mm. For bench items — cartridge cases, fragments, teeth — Artec Micro II reaches accuracy up to 0.005 mm on an automated turntable. Microscopic striation comparison still needs a comparison microscope or micrometre-scale topography. Validation with reference objects confirms accuracy for your own case work.
Yes. The scanners project their own structured or laser light, so geometry capture does not depend on ambient lighting. Artec Ray II records the geometry of large indoor and outdoor scenes day or night, though its colour cameras need light on the scene; the handheld scanners carry their own lighting and work in low light at the scene. We provide practical capture recommendations for difficult conditions.
3D data can be measured and re-checked by the other side, provided the operator's capture and processing steps are documented. Scan models from Artec customers have been used in criminal cases, including a UK case where a scan-based report helped the defence and the defendant received a reduced sentence, and the National Institute of Justice has published on the implications of 3D laser-scanned images for the criminal justice system, noting that a jury may not trust 3D output unless the method is explained. Admissibility still depends on the court, so operator qualification, validation and chain of custody all matter.
Artec Studio exports the industry-standard formats: OBJ, PLY, STL, WRL, PTX, XYZ, E57 and more. These integrate with the analysis, measurement and reconstruction software forensic laboratories already use, so the data does not become locked to one vendor.
Yes. We offer evaluations so you can test the workflow on your own representative samples. You will receive guidance on validation, sample datasets and reporting outputs to help your team make an informed decision.
Tell us about your needs and we will come back with a forensics application specialist.
