US aerial imaging firm wins drone inspection patent
US firm EagleView Technologies has won a patent for its drone-based property inspection system. The technology is intended for use by insurance companies' claims teams, to assess damage on structures before and after catastrophic events. EagleView's tech allows for the automatic generation of flight paths by enabled drones, without input from a pilot. The firm says it used its technology to generate "thousands" of images for claims adjusters following Hurricane Irma.

(Image source: EagleView.)

EagleView Technologies (Bothell, Wash.), a provider of aerial imagery and property data analytics, reports that it has won an authoritative patent for property inspection using an unmanned aerial system (UAS), or drone. The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) granted EagleView Pat. No. 9,612,598, Unmanned Aircraft Structure Evaluation System and Method.

EagleView reports that its new technology automatically generates a flight path around a structure to capture imagery and data using the drone. The flight path is defined based on the characteristics of the drone camera and the known outline and height of the structure. A pilot is not needed to create the flight path.

“This patent enables us to continue streamlining our processes in the most advanced way possible to provide consistent imagery and information to our customers,” comments Rishi Daga, President, EagleView. “We will continue to invest in protecting our technology and capture capabilities as we advance our solutions.”

EagleView says that the patent has already been used by the USPTO to constrain other companies in the roof inspection industry from obtaining patent protection for UAS Rooftop Inspection applications, demonstrating the vendor’s leadership in the field.

EagleView’s OnSite solution, introduced earlier this year, creates property data and imagery from multiple camera sources, including drones, that can be accessed directly by claims adjusters. Through the EagleView OnSite Solutions network, field representatives are assigned to capture imagery of the property by drone. That imagery, combined with machine learning technology resulting from EagleView’s acquisition of OmniEarth, can identify damage and other anomalies on properties before and after the claim event.

Assisting in High-Volume Claim Events

“Following Hurricane Irma, EagleView captured thousands of drone images for claims inspections within the first week of being permitted into the airspace,” comments Kenneth Cook, Senior VP, EagleView OnSite Solutions. “This capability is essential for insurance carriers who receive high volumes of claims following a weather event. Drone inspection provides detailed imagery to help save claims adjusters time and ensure their safety after a natural disaster.”

EagleView reports that it holds more than 130 domestic and international patents related to its aerial image capture and measurement technology. The vendor says that its newest patent precludes its competitors from developing or implementing automated flight planning around a structure using an outline and the height of the structure for unmanned aircraft capture of imagery and data. EagleView says it is actively working with the USPTO to obtain even broader UAS flight path coverage.