Field Application of Photogrammetric Analysis Techniques: Applications of the FOTOGRAM Program

This paper describes how a photogrammetric analysis computer program entitled FOTOGRAM™ is used with a personal computer. The FOTOGRAM program was described in a paper entitled “Photogrammetric Analysis Using the Personal Computer” by Brelin, Cichowski, and Holcomo.(1)* The technique described herein utilizes field examples to show how skid mark data are extracted from photographs using manual as well as electronic digitization methods. The digitized photographic data are then converted with the FOTOGRAM computer program into ‘real-world’ data points that may be plotted on a collision scene schematic. Thus, the actual path of the vehicle during skidding and/or tire marking can be determined for use in reconstructing the accident.