The Ongoing Evolution of Collision Repair Technologies
Until the invasion of modern technology, the auto body repair process had stayed pretty much the same for many years. Then seemingly all at once, the onset of computerization brought with it a whole slew of disciplines that collision repair technicians need to master. As of 2025, new technologies are being introduced so quickly that we have our work cut out for us just to keep up.
But all the hard work is worth it. The majority of these advancements are having a positive impact — allowing us to do our jobs faster and with far greater accuracy, and ultimately resulting in tangible improvements in the quality and longevity of repairs.
Today, we’ll take a look at some of these newfangled devices and auto diagnostic systems so you can get a sense of how collision repair technology is reshaping the landscape of our business – a trend that is sure to become even more evident as AI, autonomous vehicles and ADAS becoming ever more present in our lives.
Streamlining the Repair Estimation Process
Whether you are paying out of pocket, working with an attorney, or putting a claim through insurance, the damage to your vehicle needs to be thoroughly assessed in order to provide an estimate of the total cost of repairs. Although AI will never take the place of human estimators and technicians, there are several ways it can make their jobs faster and easier to do.
For example, AI can automate the routine aspects of creating an estimate, allowing estimators to focus on the unique and/or complex portions. By searching for and comparing images of similar damage to other vehicles, it can create baseline estimates for humans to review and refine. Finally, it can generate ballpark predictions of expected costs — ideal for clients who are gathering information to advance their case or claim but not quite ready to proceed with the repair.
The Ultimate Accuracy in Damage Assessments
From headlight to tailpipe, most of today’s collision repair facilities use electronic measuring systems for auto diagnostics. It’s the most reliable way to ensure that all body and mechanical components are restored to the original factory specifications. These systems use a combination of sensors, lasers and software to create a “repair roadmap” for the technician to refer to as they repair the car.
The resulting detailed assessments, produced within mere seconds, can reveal damage that the naked eye would not be able to detect. In addition, the high degree of precision of electronic measuring systems helps to ensure that the vehicle will perform just as safely and reliably as it did before the damage occurred.
The Limitless Potential of Advanced Imaging Techniques
Performing an X-Ray or CT scan of your car may sound far-fetched, but in fact it is an up-and-coming reality in auto diagnostics — thanks to 3D scanning. This futuristic auto body repair technology relies on infrared lasers to create a 3D point cloud of every millimeter of a damaged car, resulting in an unprecedented degree of accuracy in documenting damage.
It is just a matter of time until this technology becomes the default method of assessing damage to a vehicle. With the ability to detect and document damage inside or outside of the vehicle that measures just a few millimeters in size, 3D scanning has the potential to eradicate the need for vehicle disassembly and revolutionize the process of physical damage estimating.
Technology’s Impact on Common Auto Body Repair Scenarios
Here are three of the most common repair procedures body shops encounter, along with a description of how technology has transformed the process:
Frame Straightening
The actual process of frame straightening is based on mechanics: a machine consisting of hydraulics and chains is used to pull the frame of a damaged vehicle back into place. But since frame misalignment can lead to serious safety and performance issues, this crucial step in the collision repair process demands the utmost precision. To ensure the highest degree of accuracy, computerized measuring systems are used to pinpoint the exact degree and location of the misalignment.
Once the car is placed on the frame straightening machine, technicians monitor laser and computerized measurements in real time as the process is underway. This enables them to apply hydraulic pressure in the right areas and with the proper degree of force to restore the car’s frame back to its original shape and position.
Windshield Repair/Replacement
You may not suspect that technology has had much of an impact on automotive windshields. Well, prepare to be amazed:
- Today’s smart windshields integrate head’s up displays, augmented reality, and other digital enhancements directly onto the glass.
- By filtering out specific wavelengths of light, advanced anti-glare coatings can greatly enhance visibility and reduce driver eye strain.
- Self-healing windshields that can self-repair minor cracks and scratches are now being developed.
- ADAS technologies, such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control, are often mounted in the windshield.
All of these newfangled features have transformed what used to be a relatively simple process into one that is potentially highly complex. The sensors that make all this magic happen must be replaced in the new glass, and then carefully recalibrated so the system operates as it should. If a sensor gets moved just a millimeter, it can throw off the ADAS system.
To further complicate things, a manufacturer could have as many as 20 possible windshields for a given make and model within a single year. The components are costly, and technicians have to be constantly learning in order to remain proficient with windshield replacements. All in all, this is one repair that can take longer to complete and cost considerably more than you might expect.
Paint Prep and Painting
After all the body and mechanical work has been done, the vehicle is ready for painting. Here again, collision repair technology plays an invaluable role in the painting process.
First up, a paint thickness gauge is used to determine whether all or any portion of a vehicle has been repainted in the past. Devices can measure magnetically, ultrasonically, or by assessing eddy current thickness. Next, the car’s colour code reference is determined with the help of a spectrophotometer. These gadgets measure the intensity of wavelengths of light reflected from a painted surface, and then compare the data to existing colour standards.
Several collision repair technologies also exist to make the actual application of the paint go as smoothly and predictably as possible. From systems that improve paint mixing accuracy to hydrogen-powered spray booths and automatic air spray gun systems, auto paint technologies continue to evolve at a remarkable pace.
New Methods and Systems Generate New Challenges
At this point, we have barely scratched the surface of the amazing new technologies that are constantly being rolled out to revolutionize auto diagnostics and the process of collision repair. The technologies we’ve learned about today have the potential to make our jobs faster and easier to do, and they are clearly destined to improve safety, cosmetic results, and overall customer satisfaction
While these advancements are certainly beneficial, they also demand a massive investment of time, effort and dedication in order for us to use them safely, efficiently, and to best advantage for our customers. To make the most of them, we need to maintain an open, adaptable and optimistic attitude about all the learning that lies ahead.
It’s exciting (and frankly a little unnerving) to be a part of the industry at this point in time and to be among the first to experience some of these remarkable advancements. Day to day, we are thankful to bear witness as these dynamic changes continue to reshape our industry for the better.