Mobile and automated apparatus for the detection and classification of damages on the body of a vehicle

Abstract

A mobile and automated apparatus for the detection and classification of damages on the body of a vehicle, specifically meaning by 'damage' a dent or a depression on the vehicle body caused by pressure applied on such body by an external object (hail-stone or other), characterized in that it comprises a support structure defining a passage area for a motor vehicle having a body; the support structure comprises: lighting means adapted to project a grid pattern on the surfaces of the body, speed sensor means adapted to measure the speed of the vehicle, distance sensor means adapted to measure the distance of the body surfaces from the support structure, and image recording means adapted to capture moving images of the pattern reflected by the surfaces; the apparatus comprises a unit processing the moving images of the pattern reflected by the surfaces and captured by the image recording means, and simultaneously processing the signals from the sensor means of distance and speed, in order to detect, count, classify and record damages on the car body.