The University of Portsmouth is developing an artificial intelligence system to help accident repair specialist ABL 1 Touch quickly assess vehicle damage and schedule repairs efficiently.
The innovative technology, being created by Portsmouth’s School of Computing, aims to revolutionise how collision damage is identified and repair work is organised across the motor insurance industry.
The three-year project, running until April 2028, has secured £560,000 in combined funding from ABL 1 Touch, the University of Portsmouth, and Innovate UK through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Programme.
Professor Mohammed Bader from Portsmouth’s AI and Data Science Centre (PAiDS) is leading the research team developing the automated vehicle damage assessment system.
“This project will combine machine learning and computer vision to develop AI powered systems that bring together engineers’ practical expertise with cutting-edge technology,” Professor Bader explained.
The system will use sophisticated algorithms to rapidly evaluate accident damage and create efficient repair schedules, addressing growing demands in the motor insurance claims sector.
ABL 1 Touch specialises in vehicle repairs for major UK insurance companies and fleet operators, working in an increasingly pressurised marketplace requiring enhanced service delivery.
Graham Roberts, Chief Commercial Officer at ABL 1 Touch, said the company operates “in a fast-paced industry that is driven by substantially varying vehicle damage types from many sources”.
“The need to generate scalable solutions that remove single-person dependencies and work on mass data learning protocols is something we embrace as a forward-thinking business,” Roberts added.
The Association of British Insurers reported that motor insurers handled 2.4 million insurance claims in 2024, paying out a record £11.7 billion – representing a 17 per cent increase from 2023.
This growing claims volume highlights the urgent need for more efficient damage assessment and repair scheduling systems across the industry.
The AI system will support ABL 1 Touch’s ambitious growth strategy, enabling expansion from 29 repair centres to more than 60 sites nationwide.
Stephen Woodhouse from Innovate UK Business Connect praised the partnership’s “huge practical importance” in addressing contemporary industrial challenges.
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Portsmouth University brings extensive experience to the collaboration, having delivered more than 100 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships over two decades.
These partnerships have generated £9.2 million in grants and £4.9 million in matched business funding, demonstrating the university’s proven track record in translating research into commercial applications.
The project represents a significant step towards establishing new technical benchmarks for the entire vehicle repair industry through cutting-edge artificial intelligence integration.
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