In an effort to “enhance the claims experience for customers who have suffered significant damage to their roof following major weather events,” Farmers Insurance has announced that it is launching a UAS program.

Farmers conducted field tests to examine the “most effective and customer-centric ways” of utilizing UAS technology with its existing claims operation. Now, the company will expand its use of the technology to help with residential property damage assessments, as it seeks to provide a more enhanced experience for its customers.

“Farmers investments in technology and innovation are driven by our commitment to deliver a better experience for our customers at every point of engagement,” says 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.”

To start, the UAS will be used in areas most impacted by hailstorms and other severe weather events.

California-based Kespry will provide the initial squadron of UAS to Farmers. Kespry’s aerial intelligence platforms are designed especially for use in industrial sectors such as insurance.

Using Kespry’s UAS, Farmers will be able to accomplish a variety of tasks more quickly and safely, such as collecting rooftop imagery and data, supplementing ladder assist capabilities, and generating analytic reports.

The UAS will provide high-resolution, 3D imagery, with the ability to detect granule loss, as well as other physical damage data of residential roofs.

Farmers says that it will ultimately be able to resolve more claims with greater efficiency and accuracy, as its claim representatives will have access to “comprehensive roof dimensions and automated damage detection, with onsite availability of rooftop imagery made possible in just minutes.”

The Farmers UAS program will be unique because of its “exclusive use of Farmers claims professionals throughout the claim handling process,” which differs from other carriers who might utilize third-party UAS pilots as a part of the evaluation process.

The Farmers UAS program will provide its customers with a full Farmers experience throughout the process, as Farmers will use its own FAA-licensed UAS operators, who are also Farmers-trained claim representatives.