The Hybrid Judging experiment was tested successfully at Salon Prive

Concourse of Elegance have come back, highlighting new needs required by the difficulty of traveling internationally and the impossibility of gathering large groups of judges operating close by.

At Salon Privè, thanks to the initiative of ICJAG (International Chief Judge Advisory Group) and the commitment of Chris Kramer who, as Director of Technology of this association, coordinated the complex work, a new form of integration between physical presence and remote judging was experimented for the very first time.  

The result, which is called “Hybrid Judging”, was encouraging enough to imagine that it can be reapplied at future events. The principle is simple and rational: the collector presents his/ her car to the judges present on-site (at least two), telling the history and features of the vehicle, as well as showing its functionality, as for headlights and engine. The judges in remote assist live and can ask questions directly to the participant through a digital platform (Facetime was chosen as the best option). 

If it were limited to this, however, the judgement could not have the necessary technical and aesthetic references that offer the true view of the car. Chris Kramer, the ICJAG team and Salon Privè have gone even further, taking advantage of the capabilities of a digital solution that guarantees perfect resolution of all details of the cars. The day before the event or during the preliminary checks, 4 (or 5) videos of about 2 minutes each of the entrant’s vehicle would be recorded by a trained videographer. The videos are then transmitted to the judges operating remotely, uploading them into a Cloud. Below, we include the videos taken by Chris Kramer and his crew on the Alfa Romeo 2500 SS and the Ferrari 500 TRC that were used as test cars for this experiment:

The first videos consist of a general overview of the car, which gives an impression of the overall condition from every angle. Focusing on some details of the bodywork: trim, bumper (right, left), light (headlights, indicators), logos, rubber, wheels, door handles, lower trim, rear bumper, tail lights and so on. This provides an accurate view of the exterior of the bodywork

In this way each judge, as in reality, could watch in advance (for a maximum of two times to ensure balance) the videos of the car he or she is judging. As in reality, at the end of the presentation, the judges remain digitally connected to each other and give the final scores. 

The third video allows, instead, to have a view of the interior, with a focus on the leather, door panels, instruments, seats, steering wheel etc.

Congratulations ICJAG and Salon Prive for an interesting contribution and thanks for making the films available to TCCT. We can also understand how fascinating, difficult and delicate your work is.

The next videos concern the engine. The videographer films every aspect: radiator, hoses, carburetors, engine number and chassis number and so on

The last video allows him or her to film elements that may have been forgotten as well as the exhaust system under the car