This is a screen shot of Animetrics’ ForensicaGPS and shows how the product’s “comparator” mode compares images of two faces (one grainy and one clear) to create a 3D model or avatar of both faces. The technology compares the two images to determine if the two faces are, in fact, the same.

It’s an example of how law enforcement might use sophisticated 3D face recognition technology to positively identify criminals like the accused Boston Marathon bomber, shown here.

Using a capability called the “split view port,” law enforcement can slide the line across the face at any angle, while rotating the head at any angle to visually compare if and how the features of the two faces line up.