New Fractal Image Technology Breaks New Ground In Forensic And Criminal Image Enhancement
River Bend Research unveils a new Fractal Digital Imaging (FDI) technology that transforms inferior images into one less place for criminals to hide.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) November 6, 2004 -- River Bend Research announced
the introduction of Fractal Digital Imaging (FDI) – a new technology that brings
fresh life to inferior quality video and digital imagery used in law enforcement
in forensic applications.
As a technology promising a great potential for
silently identifying the details and suspects associated with criminal activity,
video technology has proven to be both a potent tool and considerable
disappointment to both victims and law enforcement agencies that have
experienced crime firsthand. From poor equipment quality with inadequate
maintenance to tired tapes and low-grade lighting, the images law enforcement
receives from crime victims are unusable in an estimated 84% of all cases. FDI
integrates leading-edge technologies to deliver images of unprecedented clarity
and refinement from otherwise unusable media – and a powerful new tool in law
enforcement arsenals.
“A key building block of crime solving is suspect
identification,” notes Kevin Williams of River Bend Research. “Identification
both defines probable suspects and excludes potentially innocent ones. This is
why accurate identification is so critical. While video offers great promise,
poor images inhibit the ability of law enforcement and the public to identify
potential suspects quickly and accurately. FDI technology offers law
enforcement, insurance companies and crime victims a powerful new means of
accurate identification that is both fast and accurate.”
FDI’s unique
approach to imaging leverages the inherent light-gathering characteristics of
video technology itself. FDI begins by acquiring virtually all image information
from the media source. Once the information is collected, FDI applies fractal
technology to refine digitized image data before the image is ultimately
reconstructed. Williams remarks, “Because of the unique nature of the FDI
process, FDI enhances both the physical scene and distinguishing characteristics
without human intervention. FDI vividly increases image clarity and removes
technical blemishes including video distortion often associated with poor
quality media. Furthermore, Fractal Digital Imaging technology creates stable
synthetic lighting to reveal colors and expose areas of shadow that are
otherwise not visible. Most remarkably, the FDI process can be performed in less
than one minute after media setup in most cases.”
In a recent case, an
image presented to River Bend Research for enhancement portrayed an apparent
dark-skinned individual with a beard performing a robbery. Using traditional
methods, including chromatic analysis, the individual’s race was indicated as
non-Caucasian; probably African-American or Middle-Eastern in descent.
Uncorrected and manually corrected images were then presented to 26 people – all
of which identified the suspect as an African-American or Middle-Eastern
individual with a beard. After processing the image using FDI technology, it
became strikingly clear that the individual was not an African-American or
Middle-Eastern, but Caucasian with distinctive sideburns and a goatee otherwise
indistinguishable in the original images – even after using traditional image
enhancement techniques.
With more riding on the effectiveness of law
enforcement than ever, Fractal Digital Imaging technology provides critical time
and effort savings to law enforcement. Fractal Digital Imaging significantly
reduces identification errors and lost leads from public misidentification due
to poor quality images. Arguably, the most valuable feature of Fractal Digital
Imaging is that it quickly eliminates innocent suspects.
Because of the
proprietary nature of FDI technology, the FDI process is performed exclusively
by River Bend Research. This service is made available exclusively to law
enforcement agencies and insurance companies worldwide.
“In a nutshell,”
Williams adds, “Fractal Digital Imaging represents a strategic partnership
between us and our clients. We provide our clients a world-class solution that
is both affordable and responsive. Our clients find it reassuring to have the
ability to concentrate on a criminal investigations knowing the identification
challenges are significantly reduced. And with a cost of admission less than
$250, any agency can add Fractal Digital Imaging to their investigatory
arsenal.”
River Bend Research’s Fractal Digital Imaging (tm) can be
explored in greater detail at FRACTALIMAGING.COM.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/11/prweb175588.htm