Farmers Insurance to Integrate Drone Technology from Kespry

Drones deliver benefits and one of those is the ability to conduct aerial inspections safely and economically. The insurance industry is coming to understand that and Kespry, a drone platform developer, has targeted that industry. Yesterday a major insurance provider, Farmers Insurance, announced that they will be deploying a fleet of unmanned aerial aircraft systems (UAS) to improve the claims experience for customers who have suffered significant damage to their roof following major weather events. The company completed field tests to assess the most effective and customer-centric ways of leveraging drone technology with its existing claims operation and now Farmers will expand the use of drone technology to aid with residential property damage assessments.

“Farmers investments in technology and innovation are driven by our commitment to deliver a better experience for our customers at every point of engagement,” said Keith Daly, chief claims officer for Farmers Insurance. “We believe our new drone program will help improve response time and safety for our claim representatives during their evaluations, and ensure Farmers maintains a leadership position in the insurance industry.”

Drone use provides numerous benefits to Farmers and its customers, including potentially faster inspection times and less safety risks to field adjusters.

The initial squadron of Farmers drones will be provided by Kespry, an aerial intelligence platform designed specifically for use in industrial sectors such as insurance. Kespry’s fully-automated industrial drone system will enable Farmers to quickly and safely gather rooftop imagery and data, generate analytic reports, supplement ladder assist capabilities, and resolve more claims with efficiency and accuracy.

“Through our relationship with Kespry, we believe that Farmers will have access to the latest advancements in aerial imaging equipment and software, in addition to superior training resources,” added Daly.

A unique feature of the Farmers drone program will be its exclusive use of Farmers claims professionals throughout the claim handling process. Unlike other carriers who may engage third-party drone pilots as part of the evaluation, Farmers will utilize its own, FAA-licensed drone operators, who are also Farmers-trained claim representatives, to provide customers with a Farmers experience throughout.

For this initial deployment, Farmers will concentrate drone efforts in areas most impacted by hailstorms and other severe weather events.

The drones will deliver high-resolution, 3D imagery, capable of detecting granule loss and other physical damage data of residential roofs. Farmers claim representatives will have access to comprehensive roof dimensions and automated damage detection, with onsite availability of rooftop imagery made possible in just minutes.

Kespry has targeted the insurance sector as an area of growth for the firm. George Mathew, who came on board with Kespry in January of this year, identified the insurance industry as a key market. In early July of this year Kespry inked a deal with Catastrophe Unit Response Adjusters to provide UAS tech to expedite the claims adjustment process.