Collaborative visual environments for evidence taking in digital justice: a design concept

In recent years, Spatial Computing (SC) has emerged as a novel paradigm thanks to the advancements in Extended Reality (XR), remote sensing, and artificial intelligence. Computers are nowadays more and more aware of physical environments (i.e. objects shape, size, location and movement) and can use this knowledge to blend technology into reality seamlessly, merge digital and real worlds, and connect users by providing innovative interaction methods. Criminal and civil trials offer an ideal scenario to exploit Spatial Computing. The taking of evidence, indeed, is a complex activity that not only involves several actors (judges, lawyers, clerks, advisors) but it often requires accurate topographic surveys of places and objects. Moreover, another essential means of proof, the "judicial experiments"- reproductions of real-world events (e.g. a road accident) the judge uses to evaluate if and how a given fact has taken place - could be usefully carried out in virtual environments. In this paper we propose a novel approach for digital justice based on a multi-user, multimodal virtual collaboration platform that enables technology-enhanced acquisition and analysis of trial evidence.