Fully Networked Car 2008 brings Formula1 flavour

This year’s Fully Networked Car event at the Geneva International Motor Show will take on a motor sport theme as well as tackle the pressing issue of global climate change. For the third year running, ISO will team up with ITU and IEC under the World Standards Cooperation (WSC) banner to host the Fully Networked Car workshop and exhibition at the Geneva International Motor Show, 5−7 March 2008.

The Fully Networked Car will focus on information and communication technologies (ICT) in motor vehicles and, specifically, on standards that will facilitate the convergence of these industries. In the context of new ITU initiatives to develop long-term solutions using ICT to combat climate change and global warming, a key question will be: How can ICT in vehicles help mitigate and monitor climate change?

An exclusive feature of the exhibition will be Honda Racing F1 Team’s new 2008 Formula-1 "Earthdreams car" – emphasizing environmental concerns and pointing towards green automotive technologies of the future. Experts believe that more sophisticated traffic management and driver assistance systems can help reduce the environmental impact caused by motoring.

The Fully Networked Car 2008 will feature a keynote speech from Max Mosley, president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the governing body of motor sports worldwide – including the Formula One World Championship – and a global organization concerned with a wide range of automotive, motoring and mobility issues.

ICT in vehicles represents significant value-added safety, comfort and mobility for consumers. Predictions for the size of the market run into billions of dollars. There is universal agreement that standardization and coordination between vehicle manufacturing, standards organizations and ICT industries is crucial to the development of new technologies.

Presentations are sought that bring light to some of the complex and fascinating questions facing the industries. For example:

What are the right business models in linking the automotive and telecoms sectors?
What are the legal and policy constraints?
How do we face the technical and engineering challenges?
How de we make sure that the right standards are adopted to deal with the complexity of so many electronic components and to allow this market to develop its full potential?
What about environmental aspects?

These and many other issues will be discussed. The goals of the workshop are to address such questions, to establish a constructive dialogue among all the stakeholders, to reach a better understanding between the ICT and automotive sectors and to combine efforts and skills to create standards for the benefit of all. The event will bring interested parties together from around the world to promote innovation and ensure that in-car communication technology moves forward at a rapid pace.

Two ISO technical committees are active in the issues addressed by the workshop:

ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles, which has published 677 standards. Its scope covers all questions of standardization concerning compatibility, interchangeability and safety, with particular reference to terminology and test procedures (including the characteristics of instrumentation) for evaluating the performance of the following types of road vehicles and their equipment: mopeds; motor cycles; motor vehicles; trailers; semi-trailers; light trailers; combination vehicles ; articulated vehicles.

ISO/TC 204, Intelligent transport systems, which has published 63 standards Its scope covers standardization of information, communication and control systems in the field of urban and rural surface transportation, including intermodal and multimodal aspects thereof, traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial transport, emergency services and commercial services in the intelligent transport systems (ITS) field.

In addition, ISO/TC 207, Environmental management, has developed 22 standards in the field of environmental management systems and tools in support of sustainable development. These include the three ISO 14064:2006 standards for greenhouse gas accounting and verification, as well as ISO 14065:2007, which provides the requirements for the accreditation of bodies that carry out these activities. These standards will help organizations address climate change and support emissions trading schemes.