Japan: Insurers' operations take off with drones
Source: Asia Insurance Review | Jul 2018
Japan Nat CAT Property & Casualty Technology
Non-life insurance companies are adding drones to their damage evaluation repertoire that will give them a bird’s-eye view of accidents and disasters.
The drones are expected to help inspect the extent of damage and quickly determine appropriate payout amounts, reports The Mainichi.
Non-life insurance companies began using drones about three years ago, as they can make tight turns and are far cheaper to operate than helicopters or regular aircraft. Sompo Japan started flying the miniature machines in 2015 to assess traffic accident damage, and then expanded their use to ascertain the scale and impact of disasters.
The company is also moving ahead with partnerships with local governments in disaster prevention and response.
Meanwhile, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance has teamed up with a US-based tech start up to build an AI system paired with drones. The system would analyse the photos and video provided by the unmanned aircraft to calculate damage and estimate repair and recovery costs. Tokio Marine plans to deploy this technology worldwide within the fiscal year which ends on 31 March 2019. A