It’s like an MRI — but for vehicles.

A new artificial intelligence-powered scanning system is changing how cars are inspected — no crawling under the chassis required. Built by the Israeli tech firm UVeye, these scanners can detect even the smallest dents, tire damage or undercarriage anomalies in seconds, using high-resolution imaging and computer vision to flag issues the human eye might miss.

The technology, which relies on AI, machine learning and deep learning, has wide-ranging potential. It can instantly assess damage on leased or rented vehicles, flag imperfections in cars coming off the assembly line, determine tire age and wear, and even detect threats such as hidden weapons or contraband at border checkpoints. The scanners can evaluate the entire exterior and undercarriage — and UVeye also offers systems that can capture images of a vehicle’s interior.

The Helios system is being explored for homeland security applications. Vehicles drive over the undercarriage inspection system, which comes in two versions: one that can be embedded in the pavement and another that is mobile. According to UVeye, “advanced deep-learning algorithms provide security professionals with top-tier access control solutions to scan, detect, and alert on potential risks including IEDs, weapons and drugs, offering unprecedented reliability for vehicle undercarriage inspections.”

Since its founding in 2016, UVeye has deployed its systems at more than 500 locations worldwide. Brothers Amir and Ohad Hever launched the company to detect bomb threats beneath vehicles using computer vision and deep learning — but the tech has quickly evolved to serve a variety of industries.

The Helios system is also optimized for collision centers and vehicle auctions, and can detect frame damage by analyzing the underbody. It can identify potential oil or water leaks, corrosion or rust, broken parts, missing or modified components, broken connectors and more.

The Artemis system specializes in tire and wheel diagnostics, using machine learning to flag broken belts, rim damage, uneven tread wear and side bulges. It can even determine tire age and tread depth with pinpoint accuracy. The scanner can read all text written on the side of the tire and compare it with previous scans of the same tire.

The Atlas scanner — an arch-like device that vehicles pass through — is UVeye’s flagship exterior inspection system. It comes in two versions: one designed for larger commercial vehicles, and another for personal-use vehicles. Atlas detects exterior damage and enables predictive maintenance and quality assurance. It is used on automotive assembly lines for final quality checks, including paint inspection, ensuring new cars leave the factory floor in pristine condition.

UVeye recently announced partnerships with General Motors, CarMax and Volvo Cars. Some dealerships, such as Princeton Volvo in New Jersey, have deployed all three systems — Helios, Artemis and Atlas — to provide comprehensive scans of undercarriages, tires and exteriors. UVeye systems, however, do not scan engine blocks.

Hertz and its subsidiaries — Dollar Car Rental and Thrifty Car Rental — began rolling out the Atlas system in April 2025 at major airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The system automatically assesses the condition of each vehicle when it’s returned.

“With millions of customers and over 100 years of service around the world, we’re continually focused on transforming every aspect of our company — and that includes how we maintain our vehicles,” said Mike Moore, EVP of technical operations at Hertz. “We are excited to partner with UVeye to bring efficiency and greater accuracy to our maintenance process, so we can focus on our vehicles being ready when and where our customers want them.”

Amazon has also adopted the technology for its fleet of more than 100,000 vehicles. As the demands on fleets and facilities grow more complex — and the margin for error shrinks — UVeye’s scanners are offering speed, precision and trust at scale.

“It is another example of how we use AI on a day-to-day basis to continue to drive improvements within our fleet and delivery cycles across the company,” said Tom Chempananical, global fleet director at Amazon Logistics. “Typically a manual inspection, as the driver walks around, takes somewhere around five minutes to get done. UVeye, on the other hand — the driver can drive through it, and within a minute, the whole process can be completed. So shaving off these kinds of minutes through the process actually enables us to get more products to customers faster on a regular basis.”

AI’s use as an unblinking tool to scan assets has grown in recent years across various manufacturing and retail industries.

Neurolabs, an image recognition technology firm, has developed a scanner with computer vision technology that allows retail sales representatives to scan shelves to document product availability, pricing and compliance. “Our next generation image recognition enables you to perform store audits eight times faster,” said a company spokesperson.

Matroid, another computer vision firm, helps clients optimize quality control — including Mercedes-Benz. “Matroid’s computer vision platform has allowed our production teams to rapidly deploy highly advanced inspection solutions aiding in Mercedes’ commitment to world-class quality,” the car manufacturer stated.