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                            Library & Multimedia
 Restoration of Defaced Serial Numbers using Lock-in Infrared Thermography (Part I)
NCJ Number
              304359

Author(s)
          I. Unobe;
                        et al
Date Published

2019
Annotation
              Since infrared thermal imaging is an evolving approach useful in non-destructive evaluation of materials for industrial and research purposes, the current study investigated the use of this method in combination with multivariate data analysis as an alternative to chemical etching, a destructive method currently used to recover defaced serial numbers stamped in metal.
Abstract
              This process involves several unique aspects, each of which works to overcome some pertinent challenges associated with the recovery of defaced serial numbers. Infrared thermal imaging of metal surfaces provides thermal images sensitive to local differences in thermal conductivity of regions of plastic strain existing below a stamped number. These strains are created from stamping pressures distorting the atomic crystalline structure of the metal and extend to depths beneath the stamped number. These thermal differences are quite small and thus not readily visible from the raw thermal images of an irregular surface created by removing the stamped numbers. As such, further enhancement is usually needed to identify the subtle variations. The multivariate data analysis method, principal component analysis, is used to enhance these subtle variations and aid the recovery of the serial numbers. Multiple similarity measures are utilized to match recovered numbers to several numerical libraries, followed by application of various fusion rules to achieve consensus identification. (Publisher Abstract)
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2017-DN-BX-0173
                                2015-R2-CX-0017


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Research (Applied/Empirical)


  
  
        
  Award
        RECOVERY OF DEFACED SERIAL NUMBERS USING INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING
                                Optimization and Statistical Testing of Experimental and Computer Methodologies for Evaluation of the LIT-MIA Thermal Imaging Method for Recovery of Defaced Serial Numbers
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2019
    
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      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Forensic sciences
        Evidence analysis and processing
        Equipment and technology
        Infrared techniques
        Erased identification restoration



  
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