Innovation
Each of our best-in-class forensic instruments is verified by science, through rigorous testing and validation both in controlled laboratory conditions and through the analysis of ground truth data to ensure its accuracy, reliability, and validity.
Scientific Advisory Board
Members of our Scientific Advisory Board engage with foster+freeman executives to highlight topics that need attention and discussion from an industry/customer perspective, including legislative or regulatory changes and newly emerging technologies. The SFAB provide expert input on specific projects and activities, and give our organization new insights and advice to help us solve relevant problems and explore new opportunities by stimulating robust, high-quality conversations.New Technology
Product Verification Library: Register Now for Your Free 30-Day Trial
Card and Collectible Graders turn to Forensic Technology
Chemical reagents – the missing link in fingermark validation?
Published Patents
Downdraft Table
GB 2609589 A
Improved Fingermark Recovery
GB 2600830 B
Image Capture Apparatus
WO 2022/219327 A2
Improved Recovery of Ballistics Identification Markings
GB 2606412 A
Image Capture Apparatus
GB 2605821 A
Hand-Held LASER Device
GB 2605462 A
Improved Coaxial Examination of Surfaces
GB 2602793 B
Methods and Apparatus for Visualising Prints on an Object
GB 2561712 B
Methods and Uses for Visualising a Print on an Object
GB 2585804 B
Apparatus and Associated Accessories, Methods and Uses for Visualising a print on an object
GB 2578815 B
Research Projects
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Crime-lite Applications: Visualisation of fluorescence from STK Sperm Tracker™
Crime-lite Applications: Visualisation of Illicit Substances
Crime-lite Applications: The use of Bandpass Filters in forensic examinations
foster+freeman granted Human Tissue Authority licence
Crime-lite Applications: Forensic Applications of Infrared Light
Forensic disciplines combine to develop new fingerprinting technique that could help spot document fraud
Our Research Partners
History of Innovation
ESDA: The Original foster+freeman instrument
ESDA: A Breakthrough Case
ESDA Today: Still Going Strong
VSC Goes Digital
Global Leaders in Document Examination
VSC-4: Small But Perfectly Formed
A New VSC for a New Millennium
DCS 121:
A Revolution in Fingerprint Photography
During the mid-late 1990’s the world of photography underwent a dramatic shift as digital cameras became commonly available to the general public. Digital photography provided photographers with a quick and easy method of recording images that could be stored in a computerized file format or printed on demand.
However, while the digital camera became commercially ubiquitous, many forensic photographers remained unwilling to adopt the new technology fearing that digital images would not only be inferior in quality to film but that they would be highly susceptible to manipulation.
At the turn of the millennium attitudes towards digital photography changed as foster+freeman, in close collaboration with Wiltshire Constabulary, launched the DCS 121, a digital photography system offering tamperproof image validation software.
DCS 121 Adopted by Law Enforcement
Replacing dark rooms, rolls of film, and many hours of development time with a fast and effective method of capturing high quality images of fingerprints, DCS 121 not only improved the efficiency of fingerprint photography, it also introduced a new age of digital image enhancement that would enable fingerprint experts to reveal details in fingerprints that would previously have been impossible to achieve.
A number of major UK police forces were quick to adopt DCS technology and by 2002 digitally photographed fingerprint impressions, captured by the DCS-121, were routinely being accepted in courts and accepted as valid evidence.
Rapid Advancement of the DCS
During the early years of digital photography technology advanced at a terrific rate. The image quality of digital cameras rapidly improved, while at the same time, the cost of processor power and memory (storage) was dramatically reduced.
Soon after it’s release, Foster+Freeman replaced the original scanning camera with a digital SLR. This switch to consumer technology would allow the company to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology, upgrading the camera to coincide with significant improvements in digital imaging.
Digital Enhancement of the DCS
In addition to the time and cost saving advantages of digital photography, the DCS also enabled fingerprint examiners to utilize a full suite of digital image enhancement techniques to reveal hidden detail and boost the contrast and visibility.
The DCS software includes a full suite of enhancement ‘toolboxes’ designed specifically for fingerprint examiners. Regular background pattern removal, FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and noise filters etc. allow fingerprint examiners to reveal details that would previously have been impossible to achieve.
While using digital enhancements, image integrity is preserved through the inclusion of licensed validation software that validates the original image and creates a digital master before creating an audit trail that records every subsequent change, modification or digital enhancement applied.
VSC5000: Intelligent Document Examination
VSC: Rapidly Developing Technology
DCS5: A Full-Spectral System
With the release of the DCS 5 in 2015, foster+freeman has further increased the fingerprint examiners ability to reveal ‘difficult’ marks through the addition of full UV-Vis-IR imaging.
By expanding the spectral range of the camera, and including UV and IR illumination together with a selection of specialist imaging filters, it is now possible to observe the interactions of light that take place beyond the range of human vision (400-700nm approx.). In particular, Reflected UV has the ability to reveal incredible fingermarks that may previously have been deemed impossible to detect or photograph.
The significance of these new techniques can be seen in the rapid uptake of DCS 5 technology worldwide.
The world’s most advanced range of VSC workstations
Our most advanced range of QDE instruments to date, the VSC8000/HS, VSC80, and VSC80i are equipped with a full range of examination features that meet the varied demands of contemporary document examination. Suitable for deployment in a wide range of settings, VSC instruments remain the technology of choice for dedicated QDE laboratories, busy border control points or the quality control department at a high-security printer.
Foster + Freeman Ltd.
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