Objective evaluation of the visual assessment of yacht finishes

New developments from the joint research project OFIN sponsored by BMWi are presented. The task was to find and develop, alongside visual evaluation, new and objective assessment methods for the evaluation of appearance on large surfaces. It has been studied whether existing or potentially usable techniques could be brought in line with the visual perception of the appearance of large surfaces. A survey of available methods for the evaluation of the appearance on large surfaces is given. The effect of ultra-long wavelength structures l > 10 cm on appearance is discussed. Appearance measurements by wave-scan device and measurements of substrate roughness by profilometry are presented. Visual evaluation by selected test persons as well as correlation analysis between visual evaluation and measured data have been carried out. In addition, tests of image processing for appearance evaluation (e.g., mirroring of stripe patterns by deflectometry) have been performed. As a result, new measuring techniques have been demonstrated, and the requirements for new assessment methods on large surfaces have been worked out. For instance, new measuring techniques should be able to show deficiencies already during build-up of coats ("show coat")