Manheim Buys Better Tech for Under-Car Digital Images

With nearly 75% of Manheim’s transactions going to digital buyers, the company recently acquired undercarriage imaging technology from Synthetik Applies Technologies.

The enhanced digital images of undercarriages provides clients a more complete and accurate view of vehicles for digital purchase. “These investments will give buyers an enhanced level of trust, consistency and transparency in vehicle conditions, enabling them to make more informed buying decisions,” said Grace Huang, president of Inventory Solutions at Cox Automotive, in a news release.

Images Offer Unobstructed High-Res Views

After partnering with Synthetik to deploy nearly 40 undercarriage imaging devices across 26 Manheim locations and capturing over half of a million images in 2022, the company bought the technology to further develop and integrate it with Manheim’s imaging solutions. The devices provide unobstructed high-res views of vehicles, putting even more information at clients’ fingertips while increasing efficiency.

The devices, which are affixed to the ground, allow vehicles to be photographed simply by driving slowly over the device. Not only does this bring a new view of the vehicle to the condition report, but it also provides an alternative to driving a vehicle onto a physical ramp or lift for a post-sale inspection, as inspectors can review the captured images from a screen.

With the high-quality images, clients can zoom in and pan across to visually inspect even the finer details on the underside of the vehicle such as fluid leaks, corrosion and structural integrity — as well as the presence of emissions equipment. Buyers and sellers can use these images to make more informed decisions, including those about investing in reconditioning work, assurance offerings and the purchase itself.

Thanks to the undercarriage imaging devices, Manheim team members can perform undercarriage inspections faster and more consistently than before. And since the images are digital, team members can inspect vehicles remotely any time after a vehicle arrives or even after it has left the lot.

Maheim Builds on Digital Imaging Advances

The addition of undercarriage imaging comes on the heels of other significant imaging advancements Manheim made in 2022, including the deployment of Fyusion-powered handheld imaging at all locations, which produced the high resolution condition report images. Manheim also worked with Fyusion to install AI-driven fixed imaging tunnels (formerly known as gantries) at select locations to bring a new level of consistency to vehicle imaging and fuel the company’s development of automated damage detection.

At three locations — Manheim Atlanta, Manheim Ohio and Manheim Tampa — the company installed undercarriage imaging devices inside the fixed imaging tunnels, leaving no exterior vehicle surface uncaptured.  

Zach Hallowell, senior vice president, Manheim Digital, said, “As we continue to deploy our fixed imaging tunnels, the combination of undercarriage images and photos that capture almost every angle will give clients a complete 360° exterior picture of the vehicles they want to purchase; a view unmatched in the wholesale industry.”