SBIR Phase I: Handheld Ballistics Imaging Device

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project supports law enforcement in solving crimes committed with firearms. In 2020, gun crime in the U.S. reached an all-time high with over 300,000 crimes committed and 40,000 people killed by a firearm, resulting in a $280 billion impact on the economy. There are approximately 800,000 law enforcement officers and 18,000 agencies in the U.S., and many of them have little to no access to forensics technology due to its cost and complexity. The total addressable market for this technology is estimated at $360 million per year in the U.S. This project advances hardware and software for next-generation portable ballistic devices, matching a spent shell casing to the weapon that fired it. The intellectual merit of this project is to advance the collection and analysis of forensic ballistics data. This project will develop: (1) a ruggedized scanner to allow detailed, microscopic, three-dimensional imagery to be captured in the field; (2) an optical system that addresses the inherent difficulties and scattering challenges of scanning metals; (3) a user interface to upload images and receive leads, while preserving chain of custody and security; and (4) a cloud-based analytical system capable of comparing digitized/pixelated imagery to provide a “match” back to investigators.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.