(Photo credit: Matt H. Wade.)
Overreaching tree canopies can obscure details of residential and commercial structures from satellite and aerial imagery used to document property values and evaluate roof damage, but using drones to obtain aerial images of rooftops helps resolve many of these issues, according to Geomni, a Verisk (Jersey City, N.J.) business that uses remote sensing and machine learning technologies to provide information about residential and commercial structures.
The use of drones marks an improvement over traditional solutions because of their ability to operate in close proximity to the subject. Drones can provide extremely detailed images with superior sub-centimeter resolution for more accurate and detailed data, according to a Geomni statement.
Jeffrey C. Taylor, President, Geomni.
“A drone’s ability to fly under the tree canopy and capture photos of different angles and perspectives makes it possible to capture detailed data about every aspect of the exterior of a building,” elaborates Jeffrey C. Taylor, president, Geomni. “We then use artificial intelligence solutions to interpret that data to help create a detailed report about the exterior of a structure, including roof and exterior diagrams with the precise placement of doors, windows, and other structural features.”
This comprehensive information can help insurance adjusters underwrite properties and resolve insurance claims in the event of a loss much more efficiently than using traditional methods, according to Taylor.
Revolutionizing the Property Data Industry
“We’ve been encouraged by the data we are able to generate with images from drones and believe this technology may revolutionize the property data industry, enabling virtual roof inspections, automated hail damage assessments, and expanded rural coverage,” Taylor adds. “Trees have been a major obstacle, reducing our ability to ‘see’ various roof details. Now, we can expand our comprehensive data packages to cover structures that have previously been obscured from fixed-wing flights.”
Geomni’s set of solutions includes Geomni Property and Geomni Roof and can be requested through Xactware’s suite of solutions, Xactimate and XactAnalysis. Xactware is an exclusive reseller of Geomni products for the property insurance restoration and remodeling industries.
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