Marcus Rowe, Business Director – Public Safety & Forensics at Leica Geosystems, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to talk about 3D laser scanning, forensic digital twins, and the role of LiDAR in modern crime and collision investigation. Marcus shares his path from military and civilian policing — including a career in forensic collision investigation with Devon & Cornwall Police — into industry, and explains how Leica Geosystems (part of Hexagon) is empowering investigators with tools that capture entire scenes for analysis, courtroom presentation, and cold case review.

Marcus and Si also discuss the upcoming Forensics Europe Expo at Olympia on 1–2 July, which is set to bring together senior leaders, practitioners and solution providers from across the forensic community. To learn more and secure a free visitor pass, visit: https://www.forensicseuropeexpo.com.

The conversation also turns to Marcus's involvement in the world's largest crash test, featured in the Channel 4 documentary Pile Up. Working blind to the staged scenario, Marcus reconstructed the multi-vehicle collision from post-event scene capture and 3D modelling — at times surfacing detail that the 90 cameras filming the event had missed.

#LiDAR #3DScanning #CrashInvestigation #ForensicDigitalTwins #LeicaGeosystems #DigitalForensics #DFIR

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Welcome Marcus Rowe

02:44 From Policing to Leica Geosystems

05:35 Leica Conference Highlights

08:43 Forensic Digital Twins Talk

17:55 What to Expect at FEE

22:29 Students and Career Pathways

26:08 World's Largest Crash Test

31:07 LiDAR Explained Simply

34:36 Courtroom Storytelling in 3D

36:02 Real Cases and Proof Standards

38:40 TV Production

41:20 Micron Accuracy Use Cases

42:25 Footprints Without Contact

46:56 From Microns to Kilometers

50:35 VR for Juries and Trust

52:04 Holistic Capture Beats Bias

56:02 FEE Event Invitation

01:00:36 Wrap Up

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🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/leicas-marcus-rowe-on-investigating-the-worlds-largest-crash-test-plus-what-to-expect-at-fee-2026/

📝 Show Notes

Leica Geosystems – https://leica-geosystems.com

Hexagon – https://hexagon.com

Leica DISTO – https://shop.leica-geosystems.com/disto

Forensics Europe Expo (FEE) – https://www.forensicseuropeexpo.com

Channel 4 "Pile Up" documentary – https://www.channel4.com/programmes/pile-up-worlds-biggest-crash-test

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