Perícia 4.0: desenvolvimento de tours virtuais como ferramenta integrada para inteligibilidade de exames de corpo de delito

Abstract

The materialization of forensic evidence must keep pace with the advancement of available technologies, as well as with ongoing transformations in visual culture and contemporary content consumption habits. Although the traditional methodology of forensic reporting is structured and systematic, it allows for wide descriptive and technical freedom, which can result in extensive and complex documents filled with technical jargon. When such reports are addressed to legal professionals or laypersons — particularly in jury trials — they often face challenges related to comprehensibility and proper interpretation of analyzed traces and events. Within this context, the present study aims to investigate how the use of 360° photography and virtual tours can enhance the intelligibility of forensic reports, adding informational and didactic value to the presentation of forensic analyses. To this end, the study explores practical aspects of applying this technique, including the time required for field implementation, ease of use by forensic experts — who are not necessarily trained photographers — technological limitations, and potential impacts on the procedural workflow of forensic reporting. Specific objectives include: investigating three-dimensional documentation methods applicable to forensic practice; developing a standardized 360° image capture model; comparing capture time and image quality between devices; evaluating post-processing alternatives that comply with the digital chain of custody; and proposing a replicable Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for other forensic units. The selected technique — virtual tours constructed from 360° photographs captured in situ — proved to be economically feasible, practical, and compatible with forensic fieldwork routines, while offering an innovative documentation approach. The resulting product, dynamic and interactive, can be accessed via digital platforms — including support for augmented and mixed reality — and allows integration with 3D schematics, panoramic images, videos, PDF documents, and other multimedia elements. The proposed format has strong potential to coexist with traditional forensic reports, providing significant gains in intelligibility and communication with the final recipients of forensic evidence.