HYDERABAD: A team of researchers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has developed a digital imaging tool that can estimate the time since death by analysing photographs of insects found on human remains, potentially offering investigators a faster and cheaper alternative to conventional forensic methods.The study combines forensic entomology, which examines insects associated with decomposing bodies, with computer-based image analysis to help investigators determine the post-mortem interval more efficiently.Traditionally, forensic scientists study insects such as blowflies to estimate the time of death.Flies lay eggs on a body shortly after death, and the resulting larvae, or maggots, grow through predictable stages.By measuring the size and development stage of these insects, forensic experts can estimate how much time has elapsed since death.However, the process requires specialised expertise and can be both time-consuming and expensive.To simplify the procedure, researchers developed a computer program that analyses images of insects collected from a body.“With just a click, the accurate time of death of a person can be known,” said Sharmili Nukapeyi, professor at Gayatri College of Engineering for Women, Visakhapatnam, and one of the study’s researchers.
Helpful to expedite process
Seven other researchers from engineering colleges in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also contributed to the project.The findings, titled “Retrieval of Time of Death Basing on Forensic Entomology through Digital Imaging,” were published recently in the International Journal of Computer Information Systems and Industrial Management Applications.The research was based on the analysis of 40 decomposed bodies that underwent post-mortem examinations at Govt Medical College, Amritsar.According to the researchers, when an image of a maggot is uploaded, the software identifies the insect, separates it from the background and measures its size.Since insect development follows a known progression from egg to larva, pupa and adult fly, the program compares the measured dimensions with established growth patterns to estimate the number of days that have passed since death.The team compared measurements obtained through the software with those derived through traditional manual counting using grid paper.“The study found that the computer method was highly accurate, matching real results more than 99% of the time,” the researchers said.However, forensic experts cautioned that the technology should be viewed as a supporting tool rather than a substitute for conventional forensic examination.
