April 29, 2021—Chief Collision Technology this week announced that its mobile 3D hail damage scanning system, Constellation, is now available for this year's hail season.
The company previewed the system in January.
Billed as a "complete workflow system," according to a press release, Constellation can track hail-damaged vehicles from notice of first loss through to repair.
Bob Finkle, brand manager for Chief parent company Vehicle Service Group, tells FenderBender Constellation is available to collision repairers, insurance companies, and fleet managers. He says the hail damage scanning system is compact enough to be fit in a pickup truck and trailer, and can be set up at a vehicle triage site anywhere in the U.S. within 24 to 48 hours following a storm.
"We're very excited about the technology, but this is also a complete solution," he says, describing Constellation as "earth shattering for the industry" in terms of its ability to manage vehicles through the entire repair process.
How It Works
Staged in a 20-foot by 30-foot tent, Finkle says Constellation is large enough for cars and SUVs, as well as trucks including smaller Ford F-150 pickups. The system can scan a hail-damaged Toyota Camry in about four to five minutes, with an estimate created immediately after (human observations can be include in the estimate beforehand).
Finkle says the system uses a suite of technology—cameras, lasers, projectors, artificial intelligence, and more—to scan vehicles and record damage.
"We're seeing the dents at all different angles, which makes it a very accurate system," he says.
That level of accuracy makes a difference, essentially eliminating the need for an adjuster to review hail damage, the press release says. Constellation counts hail dents to an accuracy of 90 percent or more, making supplements unnecessary.
PDR Network
Alongside Constellation, Chief has also created a certified paintless dent repair network that can handle repairs. Finkle says the network can also perform manual, supplement-free estimating. The network is certified by Chief, which acts as a third party to monitor the process.
Constellation is available on a pay-per-scan basis, the press release says. If customers opt to use the complete hail management system and the certified PDR network, there is no cost for scanning.
Finkle says product demonstrations for major insurance companies have led to positive responses.
While Constellation's business model doesn't currently include the ability for third parties to purchase the system, he says, that could change in the future.
