NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

On popular television shows like "Law & Order" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," sharp-witted investigators solve baffling cases by carefully evaluating evidence left behind at the scene. Now, technology developed by NASA can help real-life investigators solve real-world crimes.

It was a hailstorm, not a crime, that inspired NASA's Kennedy Space Center to develop the innovation. When a fully assembled Space Shuttle was exposed to unusually rough weather, hail damaged the foam insulation covering the massive orange External Tank. Telephoto lenses were used to zoom in on the tank for a close-up look, but without a reference object such as a penny or ruler in the photo, there was no accurate way to determine the scale of the damage.

Image to left: The two parallel laser beams of the Scaling and Measurement Device for Photographic Images can provide scale to a photograph. In law enforcement, this technology can be used by crime scene investigators. Credit: NASA

The Scaling and Measurement Device for Photographic Images uses lasers to provide scale to a photograph, eliminating the need to physically add a reference object to the picture. The device attaches directly to a camera and projects two parallel laser beams, one inch apart, producing two dots in the photo along with the image of the object under investigation. Because the beams travel in a straight line up to about 80 feet, the dots will be exactly one inch apart, allowing the viewer to accurately determine the size of any object in the image.

Now the technology is being made available to law enforcement, where it can provide scale to photographs of crime scene evidence. Armor Holdings, a leading manufacturer of crime scene investigation accessories, created the Laser Scaling Device based on the NASA-developed technology. Further enhancing the new capability, NASA created Windows-based software to work with the device, allowing users to measure any object in the image diagonally, vertically or horizontally.

Image to right: Hail-inflicted divots are visible in the External Tank's foam insulation. Credit: NASA

Scaling images is extremely important in crime and accident scene investigations, oil and chemical tank monitoring and aerial photography. Law enforcement photographers that take pictures of crime scenes can use the device to shoot scaled photos of blood patterns, graffiti or other evidence. In other applications, photographers can use it to take scaled photos of large items, such as space flight hardware, that are not easily accessible by ladders or lifts.

The next time you settle into your favorite chair and watch the latest crime drama unfold on television, remember that real-life crime scene investigators now have another tool that may help them solve the mysteries they encounter. And it all began with a hailstorm.

For further information, visit:
Spinoff Online: Commercialized NASA Technology
NASA Connections to Everyday Life
Courtesy of the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center and Spinoff On-Line
Anna Heiney, KSC Staff Writer