Using 360 degree photography in fire forensics

360 degree photography could play an essential part in capturing a scene of a fire in the world of fire forensics. Here is why:

• Preservation of a potential crime scene is difficult. Using 360 degree photography provides a fast way to capture the complete 360 degree view of a room with just one photo.
• A 360 degree photo captures everything in a space, reducing the risk of missing important evidence. 
  
• A 360 degree photo enables an investigator to study the complete scene over and over again without holding up work to clean and restore the site.
  
• 360 degree pictures provide a special awareness of a site which is difficult to achieve from standard photography enabling key information to be obtained about a scene long after the event. 
  
• A 360 degree image more easily conveys a scene to others, due to their immersive qualities. These may include expert witnesses used to analyse a fire scene or in presenting a case in court. 
  
• Good quality 360 degree cameras are now relatively cheap and simple to use, enabling any investigator to easily capture a scene. 
  

We believe P360M could be a great asset working alongside 360 degree photography in fire forensics. P360M allows a user via a smartphone or tablet. To annotate 360 degree photos and then upload them to our cloud service. Photos can then be viewed by opening a simple web link in your web browser. Web users can rotate the view to see the complete scene, including annotations left by the investigator. It’s also possible to view the 360 degree photo with annotations, in virtual reality goggles using a mobile phone and google cardboard headset. 

It’s doubtful that 360 photography will ever absolutely replace standard photography, but will work as a complementary tool, enabling investigators to capture a crime scene in more effective and faster  ways in the future.

P360M makes using 360 degree photography cheap and easy to use. Using P360M it’s easy to annotate and upload images direct from the scene. All the images uploaded can then be simply viewed in a standard web browser.  It just requires the purchase of a 360 degree camera, which can be made for as little as £200 and taking out a subscription of our P360M service. Why not contact us to find out more: Contact us