For those of you wondering how transportation is going to be represented in the Information Age, look no further ahead than Nov

For those of you wondering how transportation is going to be represented in the Information Age, look no further ahead than November and no farther away than Turin, Italy.
Between November 6-9, the Lingotto Conference Center in Turin will host the 7th World Congress on intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Operating under the theme "From Vision to Reality," over 5,000 transportation experts from all over the globe are expected to attend the World Congress’ showcases, sessions and exhibits.
According to Jean-Francois Poupinel, chairman of the ITS World Congress Board of Directors, the event will "encompass how ideas and concepts can be transformed into real ITS products and services with real customer benefits."
A highlight of the World Congress is a variety of showcases that demonstrate ITS applications at work, offering cities, regions and operators an opportunity to display their ITS-based accomplishments.
Below is a brief synopsis of each showcase.
Intelligent Vehicle Showcase: A demonstration of advanced driver-assistance systems where cars and trucks equipped with these systems are to run in dedicated sites which have the necessary ITS infrastructure for interaction with the road network.
Demonstrations of up to 50 km/h are to include stop-and-go, low-speed adaptive cruise control, high-speed collision maneuvers and convoy driving.
TITOS-City Mobility Showcase: Participants will have free access to a "real-life" platform for ITS services fed with real data. Exhibitors plan to display their products and services in a multimodal transport environment allowing visitors to experience ITS as part of their daily grind.
The Congress organization also will make use of the TITOS platform by integrating shuttle buses and on-demand transport services from the airport and hotels, for sightseeing excursions in the city, and on the exhibition grounds. ITS-based services include a smart card for registration; access to services and public transport; kiosks and terminals in all Congress hotels and the exhibition area; and a multimedia server for accessing the communication network and sending information to users.
Showcase Sessions: These sessions cover the entire life cycle of an ITS experience—from design through planning and implementation, to results and lessons learned. A variety of ITS-based systems will be covered, including integrated urban systems and traffic management systems.
According to Poupinel, "the showcases will demonstrate the ITS applications with the biggest potential and ways to get them to the user."
In addition to the showcases, the World Congress includes executive, scientific and technical sessions featuring all aspects of intelligent mobility, according to Poupinel.
Based upon the World Congress’ preliminary program, special sessions with panels representing European Union, North America and Asia-Pacific also are scheduled. Each region will select themes and topics that highlight special projects in their part of the world.
The goal of all of these sessions is to provide an opportunity to show the latest ITS developments as well as demonstrate the progress made in developing technologies.
Exhibitions cover it all
ITS areas covered within the exhibit hall include displays on intelligent vehicles and driver assistance systems; public transport systems and services; logistics including fleet and freight management; traffic management; telematics and mobility services; safety and security; and research and development.
If you happen to be in attendance at the World Congress, be sure to stop by the ITS WORLD booth, sister publication of ROADS & BRIDGES.
For more information regarding the 7th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation System, please contact Mrs. Kip Stacy Prots at ITS America, 400 Virginia Ave., SW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024-2730; phone 202/484-4542; fax 202/484-3483; e-mail kstacy@itsa.org; or look for the World Congress information at www.itsa.org or www.torino2000.itscongress.org. RB