Taking Virtual Reality into the Courtroom: An exploratory study of how to implement Virtual Reality within Swedish court

Abstract

The increasing number of criminal cases creates a demand for fast development of high-quality evidence. Both the Swedish National Forensic Centre and the National Courts Administrations strive to find new ways with the help of new technology to improve the judicial process. This Master's Thesis has been in collaboration with the Swedish National Forensic Centre and the aim is to contribute to the implementation of Virtual Reality as a visualization tool that will improve the judicial system in Sweden. The project has been limited to exploring the use of Virtual Reality within Swedish courts. The project answers the following questions: Why should Virtual Reality be used in Swedish courts? Who would be the user of Virtual Reality in Swedish courts? When would Virtual Reality be used in Swedish courts? How would Virtual Reality be used in Swedish courts? The results are concluded into UX/UI guidelines which will act as an inspiration for future development projects and implementation. This thesis has included interviews and surveys with professionals from Swedish courts and surveys with people from the public. Five use areas for Virtual Reality in Swedish courts have been found during the thesis; giving pre-trial support, viewing of object, viewing of scene, reconstruction of incident and reviewing material. Giving pre-trial support has been tested through usability tests, by testing the concept of viewing a courtroom in Virtual Reality through an Oculus Quest head-mounted display. The results include guidelines for each use area, for the experience as well as for the graphical user interface. The UX/UI guidelines are based on theory study, user study and usability study performed during the thesis.