Working group pursuing ISO standard for machine data exchange

The ISO working group is targeting final rollout of the standard by the end of 2021. Photo by Joe McCarthy

An International Organization for Standardization (ISO) working group, comprised of several members from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), is in the process of developing a global standard for worksite interoperability.

According to AEM, the purpose of the standard is to provide information that enables different providers of machine grade-control systems to efficiently interoperate on the same worksite.

“Fleets containing multiple brands, along with general contractors using different systems than their subcontractors, is the norm on jobsites – if only because not every equipment manufacturer makes every single type of machine or technology that is used,” says Sara Feuling, director of construction at AEM.  “This new standard will normalize data exchange at the interface between earthmoving machinery with grade-control systems and the site information system.”

The scope of the standard, formally titled “Worksite Topographical Data Exchange,” initially includes earthwork applications, including roadbuilding and site development. The standard focuses on onsite radio corrections, digital terrain models, and overall jobsite information.

The ISO working group is targeting final rollout by the end of 2021. Preliminary details of the standard will be shared at the Tech Experience at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020.

“New technology in the construction space is one of the most important things we’re doing at ConExpo-Con/Agg this year,” says Dana Wuesthoff, ConExpo-Con/Agg show director. “One of the things we’re especially proud to show off is collaborations like this between AEM member companies who would otherwise be competitors.”

To learn more about the standard, check out the Tech Talk in the Tech Experience at ConExpo-Con/Agg on March 12 at 3:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center.