SBIR Phase I: Handheld Ballistics Imaging Device

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目支持执法部门解决使用枪支犯罪的问题。2020年，美国的枪支犯罪达到了历史最高水平，超过30万人犯罪，4万人被枪杀，给经济造成了2800亿美元的损失。美国大约有80万名执法人员和1.8万个机构，其中许多人由于成本和复杂性而很少或根本无法获得取证技术。这项技术在美国的潜在市场总额估计为每年3.6亿美元。该项目推动了下一代便携式弹道设备的硬件和软件的发展，将废旧弹壳与发射它的武器相匹配。该项目的智力价值在于促进了法医弹道数据的收集和分析。该项目将开发：(1)坚固耐用的扫描仪，以便在现场捕获详细的、微观的、三维图像；(2)解决扫描金属固有困难和分散挑战的光学系统；(3)用户界面，上传图像和接收线索，同时保持监管和安全链；以及(4)基于云的分析系统，能够比较数字化/像素化的图像，为研究人员提供匹配。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.