3D data can improve the identification of the victims of major disasters
Assistant Professor Line Staun Larsen from Aarhus University receives a grant of almost DKK 2 million from AUFF to examine whether 3D data from dental records can make the identification of victims of e.g. natural disasters more effective through the use of forensic odontology.
An increasing number of dental records contain 3D images. Which is good news when it comes to identification, as data from 3D scanning contains huge amounts of valuable details which may prove invaluable if there is a major disaster or accident with many victims.
Assistant Professor Line Staun Larsen will examine the value of using 3D data from dental records in identification via forensic odontology. The research project will focus on making the future identification of victims more effective by exploring the potential of automating 3D comparisons with the help of newly developed software.
The Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF) is granting the research programme DKK 1.997 million from its NOVA programme, which has the objective of making the identification of the deceased more effective. This may in turn impact both legal rights and the relatives of victims. At the same time, the project contributes to a technological shift within forensic odontology, which today primarily relies on 2D data from dental work.
Contact
Assistant professor, PhD, Forensic Odontologist Line Staun Larsen
Aarhus University, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health and
Department of Forensic Medicine
Email: line.staun@dent.au.dk