3D Forensic Reconstruction of the Catamaran Collision in the Bay

Published on August 04, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

The accident between two catamarans in the bay waters left more questions than answers. To clarify the facts, a team of expert investigators has resorted to photogrammetry and laser scanning. The goal is to generate an exact digital model of the impact, including the speed, collision angle, and position of each vessel at the moment of contact. The resulting simulation will serve as expert evidence in the judicial proceedings.

3D forensic photogrammetry of catamaran collision in bay, two white vessels impacting at an oblique angle during the night, water spray splashing at the point of contact, a crew member holding a laser scanner on a tripod on the deck of an expert vessel, total station and camera-equipped drone flying overhead while a laptop shows the point cloud of the deformed hull, photorealistic engineering visualization, bluish moonlight and work floodlight illumination, reflective metal surfaces, trajectory lines and velocity vectors superimposed in the air, ultra-detailed technical render, cinematic style.

Photogrammetry and dynamic simulation for impact analysis 🛰️

The forensic pipeline begins with the capture of point clouds using long-range scanners from the coast and drones equipped with LiDAR sensors. Each hull is digitized with a tolerance of less than two millimeters. The data is processed with reconstruction software that applies ballistic back-calculation algorithms adapted to aquatic environments. Variables such as current, wind, and vessel inertia are incorporated. The result is a 3D animation that allows judges to visualize the exact sequence of the collision from any angle.

The ghost catamaran and the GPS blame ⚓

The simulation revealed that one of the catamarans was sailing with the autopilot activated and a saved route from a previous excursion to a floating beach bar. The system did not detect the evasive maneuver of the other boat because its radar was configured to ignore objects smaller than six meters. Now the experts are debating whether the responsibility lies with the software, the captain, or the algorithm that decided that a snack was more urgent than watching the horizon. Justice, meanwhile, has requested an additional report on the reliability of the onboard WiFi.