For over one year now, Allstate has been testing inspection drones in an effort to deliver faster customer insurance claims, and now, thanks to new laws put in effect by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for commercial operated drones in August, the company plans to push their test phase even further. Their goal? To replace workers with drones to improve employee safety.
Although Allstate is researching into replacing a large majority of their inspectors with inspection drones, the company does not plan to remove employees totally, stating that if drones are to be implemented, onsite workers are still required for up close, in-depth inspection. The insurance company wants inspectors to spend more time in the office inspecting the photos, and less time on traveling.
At the start of September, Allstate preformed roof inspections on 20 homes using a quadcopter fixed with cameras. The drones re-inspected roofs previously looked at by Allstate’s inspection staff that were damaged by severe hailstorms that took place between April and June this year. Now, Allstate is planning to compare the two, drone versus onsite inspector, to see if research should continue on drones.
Allstate previously used inspection drones in Colorado to examine roofs, before the fixed set of rules for operating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) went into place on August 31st, that required both a pilot and spotter. But now with new rules in place, the insurance company was actually able to fly the drones autonomously, without human aid, using pre-programming. Allstate’s drones fly for about 10 to 15 minutes, capturing photos quickly and efficiently. The autonomous flight of drones will allow the company to save on time and expenses by fully automating the process of inspection.
Allstate teamed up with Kespry, an automated drone company, and Eagleview Technology Corporation, a software company that produces 3D models and measurements of aerial roofs, to achieve aerial roof inspections for their customers. Together, the team is able to capture precise 3D imaging of damaged roofs at an accelerated rate compared to human inspectors.
Looking towards the future, Allstate is planning to continue to use inspection drones, but looks to streamline the flight process and hopes to move their testing phase forward from using their current quadcopter to using a fix-winged drone (like that of an airplane) that has the ability to move more quickly than quadcopters.
2016 is a year where drones are operating in full force across multiple industries: construction, engineering, insurance, etc.. Interestingly, despite the fact the companies and the law itself are changing their outlook on drones, many professionals are still not convinced. However, with new regulations and guidelines in place by the FAA allowing for the legalization of commercially operated drones, businesses across all sectors will be forced to meet the machine and its potential.
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