In hit TV crime drama show C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation, and its two spin-offs, the criminologists use the latest technology to solve grisly murders and other crimes.

Soon, real criminal investigation teams will be using videogame technology to help forensic scientists collaborate virtually to recreate what happened at the scene of the crime.

"The problem is that while there have been major advancements in the field of forensic science technology, how investigative teams come together to collaborate has not changed over the years," said Mitzi Montoya, Zelnak professor of marketing and innovation management at North Carolina State University (NC State).

NC State recently received a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) programme to help lay a foundation that promotes greater collaboration in the field of forensic science - a platform they call IC-CRIME (interdisciplinary, cyber-enabled crime reconstruction through innovative methodology and engagement).

The IC-CRIME platform will employ the latest in 3-D laser scanning technologies and run on the Unity game engine technology, which powers over 50 commercial games like FusionFall and VooDude.

The laser scanner technology, developed by Research Triangle Park company 3rdTech, will allow investigators to accurately record room and object dimensions, as well as the placement of every piece of evidence in a crime scene.

The scanners can capture millions of data points at a crime scene within a few minutes and recreate highly detailed virtual crime scenes.

"The game world will be embedded within a web page also containing data in the form of text and 2D graphics," said Michael Young, associate professor of computer science and an expert in serious gaming at NC State.

"We'll be building an easy-to-use interface on top of the game environment that will allow CSIs and other investigators to link locations in the crime scene to external sources of data, such as hair and fibre databases, finger print images and investigator notes." Prof. Young said the simple interface will also allow users to create scripts, or virtual scenarios, for "what if" animations. This will allow in-game computer characters to act out different variations of the crime, allowing users to share hypotheses about the crime with other investigators and juries within the game world.

"Game technology allows us as developers to create highly interactive and adaptable virtual environments," said Prof. Young.