A technique for generating three-dimensional Identikit pictures of suspected
criminals on a computer is being patented by Synthonics of Westlake Village in
California (WO 97/42609). The witness looks through a library of a thousand
head-and-shoulders templates and chooses the closest. The template appears on
the screen as a wire frame built from a pattern of dots joined by lines. This is
then electronically covered with flesh and skin of a texture and colour chosen
by the witness from a palette. The finished model can be rotated and viewed at
any angle.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Mind
Why do people ask so few questions in conversation?聽
Comment
Mind
‘Remarkable’ discovery upends our understanding of how brains store memories
News
Humans
DNA reveals a society organised around women in pre-Roman Britain
News
Physics
Quantum entanglement is key to solving 250-year-old maths problem
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles