Autonomous Undercarriage Imaging for Insurance Damage Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle inspection methods are labor-intensive and costly, requiring manual processes that involve moving vehicles to inspection bays and using specialized equipment, leading to inefficiencies and potential inaccuracies in damage assessment.
Innovation Solution
The use of remotely-controlled or autonomously operated inspection devices, such as drones or ground vehicles equipped with imaging units, to capture and analyze imaging data for identifying vehicle damages or defects, allowing for on-site analysis without the need for physical relocation or specialized machinery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection processes are used, then inspection thoroughness may be improved, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection processes with an automated imaging system that uses cameras and computer processing to capture and analyze vehicle damage. The system automatically processes images to identify and quantify damages, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection while maintaining or improving accuracy and significantly reducing inspection time.
2Reliability
If specialized inspection equipment and vehicle relocation are used, then inspection capability is improved, but equipment costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the inspection capability from complex specialized equipment and relocates it to a portable imaging device that can be positioned near the vehicle. Instead of requiring vehicle lifts, specialized lighting equipment, and dedicated inspection bays, the system uses standard imaging devices combined with computational analysis to achieve reliable inspection results in various locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the vehicle's damaged surfaces through imaging, allowing the inspection process to be performed on the captured images rather than requiring direct physical access to the vehicle with specialized equipment. This enables inspection without vehicle relocation or complex setup while maintaining inspection reliability.
3Loss of information
If manual damage assessment is performed, then detailed evaluation may be achieved, but labor costs and potential for human error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual damage assessment with automated image analysis processing that objectively evaluates captured images to identify and quantify vehicle damages. The system uses computer algorithms to detect damage features, classify damage types, and estimate repair costs, eliminating human subjectivity and potential errors while maintaining detailed assessment capabilities through systematic image processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A remotely-controlled (RC) and/or autonomously operated inspection device, such as a ground vehicle or drone, may capture one or more sets of imaging data indicative of at least a portion of an automotive vehicle, such as all or a portion of the undercarriage. The one or more sets of imaging data may be analyzed based upon data indicative of at least one of vehicle damage or a vehicle defect being shown in the one or more sets of imaging data. Based upon the analyzing of the one or more sets of imaging data, damage to the vehicle or a defect of the vehicle may be identified. The identified damage or defect may be compared to a claimed damage or defect to determine whether the claimed damage or defect occurred.