DeGould, a long-standing specialist in automated vehicle inspection, is preparing to roll out its latest offering: the AutoCompact DriveThrough booth. The system brings the same artificial-intelligence-driven defect detection that powers the company’s factory-floor AutoCompact Conveyor to the wider automotive supply chain. By positioning a high-resolution inspection station at every point where responsibility for a new car changes hands, the firm hopes to seal the gaps that currently allow surface damage to go unnoticed.
From the moment a vehicle leaves the assembly line to the instant it rolls out of a dealer forecourt, it passes through a series of hand-over locations – ports, rail terminals, logistics compounds and processing centres. Those transfer points are statistically the most vulnerable to scratches, dents and panel misalignments. The new drive-through concept captures a complete visual and geometric record at each stop, turning what has traditionally been a manual, subjective process into a fully automated, data-rich operation.
Extending AI inspection beyond the factory floor
The AutoCompact DriveThrough is designed as a compact, modular booth that can be assembled on site from a pre-tested kit shipped from DeGould’s UK headquarters. Its footprint fits within a standard loading bay, yet the aperture is wide enough to accommodate everything from compact city cars to full-size luxury saloons and light commercial vans. The system is engineered for outdoor environments; DeGould recommends a protective canopy, but the hardware is weather-tolerant and can operate 24/7.
How the DriveThrough works
Hardware and sensing suite
At the heart of the booth lie multiple high-resolution cameras strategically positioned LED lighting arrays and a LiDAR scanner that creates a three-dimensional point cloud of the vehicle surface. The captured imagery and depth data feed directly into a bespoke AI algorithm that has been trained on millions of defect examples. Within seconds, the software flags any deviation from the baseline factory inspection, annotates the exact location, and generates a digital report that can be streamed to the logistics manager’s dashboard.
Operational footprint and deployment sites
The modular nature of the booth means it can be deployed at a variety of logistics nodes without major construction. DeGould envisions installations at maritime terminals, intermodal rail yards, bulk-storage depots and even high-traffic dealership service bays. Because the system operates on a “drive-through” principle, a vehicle simply enters, pauses for the scan, and exits – eliminating bottlenecks and keeping the throughput comparable to traditional manual checks.
Business impact and market backdrop
By delivering an immutable, time-stamped record of a car’s exterior condition, the booth strengthens the chain of liability. Dispute resolution between OEMs, logistics providers and dealers becomes a matter of consulting the digital log, dramatically cutting the time and expense associated with claim negotiations. Faster identification of defects also enables quicker remedial action, preserving the perceived quality of the brand that reaches the end customer.
DeGould’s CEO, Ben Boycott highlighted the strategic relevance of the launch: “For the first time OEMs can apply the same world-leading inspection performance trusted at the end of line throughout the finished-vehicle logistics chain. That consistency gives a clear view of where costs arise and where savings can be captured.” The company projects that integrating defect data from production and logistics will give manufacturers a unified view of their global cost of quality, potentially saving millions each year.
The launch arrives at a time when the AI vehicle inspection market is accelerating. Industry analysts forecast the sector to grow from $2.21 billion in 2026 to $4.16 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of roughly 17 %. Drivers include the need for faster turn-arounds, tighter regulatory compliance and the rise of remote or contactless inspection workflows. Competitors such as UVeye, Tractable and ProovStation are also expanding their computer-vision-based solutions, but DeGould’s advantage lies in its proven end-of-line pedigree and the ability to ship a fully tested kit that can be installed in weeks.
Customer demonstrations are slated for the fourth quarter of 2026, with the first production units expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027. As OEMs and logistics firms grapple with thin margins, the promise of a measurable, AI-driven reduction in defect-related costs could become a decisive factor in supply-chain tooling decisions.
