Board-Level Cameras and Computer Vision Document Hail Damage: Consumers Benefit From Quicker Claims Processing

Hail can cause enormous damage in a very short time. In recent years, the frequency and intensity of hailstorms has increased, posing significant challenges for vehicle owners and insurance companies alike. HaSt GmbH's BUHDA (Bild Unterstützte Hagel Dellen Analyse, Engl. image assisted hail dent analysis) leverages computer vision and five, high-performance, board-level cameras from The Imaging Source to document hail damage to vehicles, improving outcomes for both consumers and insurers alike.

Addressing the Need for Efficient Hail Damage Assessments

In a single month in 2023, German insurers were overwhelmed with 26,000 claims on hail-damaged vehicles. Large storms can create a backlog of claims that take months to process, slowing down settlements and burdening claim adjusters. Traditional methods of manual visual inspection are not only error-prone but also tedious and time-consuming. As hailstorms become more frequent and severe, the need for quicker and more reliable assessment methods becomes increasingly evident. HaSt's mobile, arc-shaped scanner, BUDHA, meets this challenge head-on. Easily deployed and set up on-site, this drive-through system conducts swift and thorough inspections of vehicles, providing detailed, digitized reports that documenting the number, size, and location of hail damage. This process not only speeds up assessments but also offers the traceable documentation needed to minimize invoice audits and disputes over damage assessments.

Multi-Camera System Delivers Rapid, Objective, and Repeatable Results

A central component of BUHDA is the use of The Imaging Source's DFM 37UX273-ML 1.6 MP color board-level cameras, equipped with M12 lenses of varying focal lengths. These cameras are synchronized to enable the capture of the entire surface of the vehicle as it drives through the scanner's arc. Even when cars pass through the system more rapidly, the cameras' high frame rate (max. 238 fps) maintains the same image quality, ensuring detailed and comprehensive documentation of all hail damage. Unlike manual visual inspections that typically use white LED lighting, BUHDA employs green LEDs to enhance image clarity and detail. The Bayer filter pattern (RGGB) consists of 50% green pixels, effectively allowing the camera's sensor to capture more light at these green wavelengths. This enhancement not only improves the visibility of green light reflections on the vehicle's surface but also ensures optimal image capture under a wide range of ambient lighting conditions in under 30 seconds. The image data is then analyzed by BUHDA's sophisticated AI algorithms, which assess hail damage based on predefined criteria such as dent depth, size, and location, generating a detailed damage report in less than five minutes.

Improved Results for Claimants and Insurers

Chosen for their durability, advanced features, and USB connectivity, The Imaging Source's compact board-level cameras perform well under ambient lighting conditions and variable vehicle speeds. The incorporation of computer vision into the hail damage assessment process has changed both the speed and accuracy of claims handling, offering substantial benefits to insurers and claimants alike. For insurers, the digitized, detailed documentation streamlines the assessment, reducing the time spent on each claim and minimizing disputes. Claimants benefit from faster, transparent results, accelerating the settlement process. Additionally, body shops can leverage this technology to document repairs and provide digital verification of hail damage repair, ensuring thorough and indisputable service quality.