Publication details
How to Fingerprint a Nearly 300-year-old Mummy
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Forensic Identification |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://search.proquest.com/docview/2319478610?accountid=16531 |
| Keywords | Mummy; fingerprints; 3D scanning; 3D printing; close-range photogrammetry |
| Description | Obtaining postmortem fingerprints from a mummified human corps represents a challenging task. Mummification alters, often irreversibly, elasticity of the skin. It dries, hardens, and creases the body surface to a degree, which makes it very difficult to employ conventional fingerprinting techniques. The present paper introduces a contact-less three-dimensional digital approach for re-establishing a crease-free skin surface and for acquiring a two-dimensional reproduction of the volar surface of a finger pad. The technique was developed while fingerprinting baron Franz von der Trenck (1711-1749), an elite Austrian-Hungarian military officer, whose naturally mummified body rests in the Capuchin Crypt in Brno, Czech Republic. His disarticulated left thumb was documented using an Atos Capsule 3D scanner and close-range photogrammetry. In order to obtain a flat 2D thumbprint, two techniques were proposed. One was based on digitally painted texture which adheres on the ridges, but avoids the grooves. The other imprinted an enlarged physical replica of the volar surface built by employing PolyJet 3D print technology. Both techniques successfully dealt with the rigidity and extensive wrinkling of the imprinted skin. The texture paint technique, however, depicted the skin characteristics uniformly and more clearly. The present case study lays down a foundation for incorporating an advanced 3D virtual approach into fingerprint processing in the forensic context. |
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