Products
Product Overview
RTI SoleWitness is a cutting-edge, forensic mobile app designed to streamline the documentation and collection of footwear evidence at crime scenes. Many law enforcement agencies struggle with footwear impression evidence collection due to the limited availability of crime scene photographers and specialized DSLR camera equipment. As a result, critical footwear impressions are often under-documented, leading to missed investigative opportunities.
RTI SoleWitness leverages recent smartphone advancements, like high-resolution cameras and LIDAR technology, to empower law enforcement officers, forensic experts, and crime labs to capture high-quality footwear evidence without requiring expensive equipment or extensive training.
The Story Behind the Footwear Impression Evidence Solution
RTI SoleWitness was developed in response to critical challenges identified by justice and forensic science experts at RTI. The app simplifies and enhances the process of documenting footwear impression evidence, addressing gaps in standard practices and empowering crime labs, police departments, forensic experts, and research institutions with an affordable, high-impact tool. RTI SoleWitness addresses several challenges in standard practice:
- Inefficient Evidence Collection: Footwear evidence is critical at all crime scenes, but law enforcement officers often struggle with proper documentation.
- Need for Training: There is a lack of standardized training for capturing footwear evidence which leads to improper or incomplete data collection.
- Limited Resources: Many departments lack the budget for crime scene photographers and dedicated photography equipment, restricting evidence collection capabilities.
How RTI SoleWitness Works
RTI SoleWitness™ guides law enforcement officers and forensic teams through a step-by-step process to ensure accurate and complete footwear impression documentation directly from their mobile device. Here’s how the app works:
Create a New Case
RTI SoleWitness™ allows investigators to start new cases by entering key details such as the case number, evidence ID, and location information. The app uses GPS to automatically fill in the location, with the option to manually adjust it if needed for accuracy.
Capture and Document Footwear Photos
To establish the impression’s relative positioning, investigators take photos from four directions—North, East, South, and West—guided by an on-screen compass for accurate alignment. Six additional close-ups highlight the impression’s fine details, leveraging LiDAR technology to generate images embedded with a photo scale for dimension measurement. Real-time prompts ensure proper lighting, angle, and distance across all photos, providing investigators with reliable and actionable evidence.
Review, Save, and Manage Data
All captured photos are securely stored within the app, enabling investigators to review and organize each image. Featured tools like tutorials, checklists, and mock cases are avaliable to enhance investigators’ proficiency in the footwear evidence collection process. RTI SoleWitness™ ensures high standards in evidence collection by providing real-time guidance and feedback at every stage.
Why Use This Product
The RTI SoleWitness app is a groundbreaking, innovative approach to footwear impression data collection. Key features include:
- Low-Cost Solution: Eliminates the need for expensive DSLR cameras or additional photography equipment, fitting well within limited budgets..
- Ease of Use: Its intuitive interface and streamlined process ensure users can begin documenting evidence with minimal training
- Comprehensive Tutorials: Built-in video vignettes, checklists, and tutorials guide users through the entire data collection process.
- Actionable Intelligence: In-app cues help ensure photos meet quality standards for resolution, lighting, angle, etc.
- Quality Assurance: Improved footwear evidence documentation can facilitate more leads and comprehensive investigative reports.
- Scalability: Future versions of the app can expand to cover other evidence types, such as tire impressions or tool marks.