Automated Ballistic Identification Systems
Every firearm leaves unique, reproducible markings on expended bullet and cartridge cases that it fired. The barrel, firing pin, firing chamber, extractor, ejector and other parts of the gun leave these marks, called toolmarks, on the bullet and cartridge case faces. Individually and collectively, these markings function as the “ballistic signature” of the firearm.
Traditional firearms identification involves the use of a Comparison Microscope. A firearms examiner visually compares the ballistic signature of a bullet/cartridge recovered from a crime scene with those in the police files. This process and its outcome, while accurate and acceptable in court, is extremely time consuming. Because of this, its usefulness as an investigative tool is severely limited.
Automated Ballistic Identification Systems (ABIS) are specialized computer hardware/software combinations designed to capture, store and rapidly compare digital images of bullets and cartridge casings.
ABIS have four key components:
- The Ballistic Scanner, which captures the images of the bullets and cartridges
- The Signature Extraction Unit, which uses a mathematical algorithm to extract unique signatures from the images
- Data Storage Unit, which serves as the main storage,
- The Correlation Server, which handles the actual comparison of images.
Read more about this topic: Automated Firearms Identification
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