Scanning Solutions for Automobile Rental Automating Car Rental Process

Do you have a car rental business or plan to start one? Things aren’t the same. COVID-19 disrupted the car rental sector, and now, as the industry bounces back, several changes have emerged. One major trend in the automobile and car rental market is the rise of computer vision technology. While the concept of machine vision in automobiles is not new, car rental companies utilizing scanning solutions for automobile rental is something not seen before. 

In this post, we’ll discuss how computer vision-based digital scanning solutions for automobiles transform the car rental process and why you should care. 

The Rise of Machine Vision in the Automobile Industry

Things haven’t been easy for the automobile industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden halt in the export of automotive parts from China disrupted the supply chain. Manufacturing operations stopped in Europe, and assembly plants shut down in the US. 

However, the situation is now progressing towards betterment. Over the past few months, the industry has been showing consistent growth and is expected to deliver higher YoY growth in 2021. New vehicle sales in the US, Europe, and China have surged lately. The growth has been significantly higher in China, as about 30 million vehicle sales are projected by 2025. 

But keeping aside the market fluctuations, new trends are making their way into the industry. The automobile sector has always been one of the first adopters of emerging technologies, and this year hasn’t been any different. The role of machine vision has been growing in the industry for a while. 

The present-day automobile manufacturing units, although cutting-edge, struggle with value chain processes like production, logistics, and quality assurance. Computer vision technology offers myriad industrial applications, such as object detection, component surface inspection, and sorting out defective products. 

The application of computer vision goes beyond the supply chain and manufacturing. Car rental companies can use digital scanning solutions for automobile that assist in detecting defects, enable seamless booking, and optimize the data collection process. 

Ravin.ai, a UK and Israel-based startup, is developing AI-enabled machine vision solutions to inspect vehicles for damage. The startup closed a $4 million seed round and will target car rental companies. 

However, if you’re a car rental company, you don’t need to rely on third-party providers to inspect your vehicles. You can implement an in-house scanning solution that, in addition to vehicle inspection, also enables you to scan barcodes, QR codes, and text. 

The text and code scanning capabilities make the car rental process seamless. The traditional car booking procedure involves excessive paperwork and manual approval. A human inspector verifies your identity and documents before approving your ride. 

Scanning solutions for automobile rental speed up this process. Customers can scan their driver’s license and identity documents without the need for a human inspector. The OCR scanning technology captures your details and sends them for automatic approval. Within seconds, your request will be approved, and you’ll be able to begin your ride. 

Computer Vision for Car Rental: The Applications and Benefits

Managing car claims and growing the fleet are two of many challenges car rental companies face. Implementing computer vision can resolve many of these problems. 

Let’s discuss how scanning solutions for automobile rental can help car rental companies. 

1 To Accelerate Car Damage Claims

The latest computer vision algorithms can classify pictures and objects based on image segmentation and object recognition. Car rental companies can leverage these applications to make insurance claims faster and simpler. Computer vision eliminates the need for human inspection, which is often a time and resource-intensive process. These mobile scanning software systems are powered by deep learning and can detect any vehicle damage along with the level of severity.  

2 Seamless Online Booking Confirmation

Providing a seamless booking experience is a common challenge faced by car rental companies. Most providers rely on manual rental procedures, which includes identity verification and booking confirmation. On the other hand, digital scanning solutions make the entire process fast, remote, and automated. The customers can use the scanning app to scan their identity or driving license and confirm their identity. This facilitates the car rental process and enables rental companies to offer more services in less time. These computer vision solutions can scan barcodes, QR codes, and text (OCR) for superior, 360-degree round performance. 

3 Provide 24/7 Vehicle Access

We live in a happening world where people can require a ride at any hour of the day. With the COVID-19 threat not entirely diminished, car rental companies need to ensure they provide 24/7, flexible, and contactless access to their customers. OCR scanning technology enables you to do that. With a digital scanning mobile app, the customer can scan the barcode on the vehicle to book a ride. At the same time, he can scan his identity card or driver’s license to verify his identity on the go. From within the app, the user can make an online payment and confirm the booking. 

Read More: Car Rental App Development: Scanning Solutions Guide