Skip to main content

ITS World Congress premieres Kongressnavigator

Available for download from this week, the ITS World Congress ‘Kongressnavigator’is the first app to combine all the most important things at a congress. It helps visitors navigate through the city and the congress centre, and it integrates the conference programme, transportation schedules and tickets. All this comes together on the smartphone - now available for the iPhone, Android and as a mobile web application. Arrival at the airport followed by a quick stop at your hotel - there's not much time to spa
September 28, 2012 Read time: 4 mins
The ITS World Congress ‘Kongressnavigator’ app
Available for download from this week, the ITS World Congress ‘Kongressnavigator’is the first app to combine all the most important things at a congress. It helps visitors navigate through the city and the congress centre, and it integrates the conference programme, transportation schedules and tickets. All this comes together on the smartphone - now available for the iPhone, Android and as a mobile web application.

Arrival at the airport followed by a quick stop at your hotel - there's not much time to spare: The opening ceremony of the ITS World Congress will start in just a few minutes. In the lobby, visitors pull out their mobile phone and let the Kongressnavigator show them the way from the hotel to Messe Wien and directly to hall 2. Naturally, the app knows when the next metro will leave and is aware of any delays in real time. The ticket for public transportation comes automatically to the mobile phone through the app. Along the way, the app provides an overview of the presenters and demonstrations, and it creates a personalised Congress programme. The app also shows the shortest route from the metro station to the conference hall. At the entrance, visitors show their mobile phone and receive their delegate name tag to hang around their neck.

All‐in‐one navigation

The Kongressnavigator is the first app to combine navigation through the city with guidance at the congress centre. Participants in the ITS World Congress can try out the seamless transition in navigation on their own smartphone: GPS‐based navigation outdoors, plus realtime information about public transportation. In the conference hall and the Congress Centre, the mobile phone uses sensors and QR codes to lead the way. The Kongressnavigator gives a whole new meaning to the term "multimodal" and allows visitors to experience it for themselves: The app suggests the best routes for travelling by metro and bus as well as by rental car, city bike or foot.

Those who opt to bike or walk can collect eco‐points in one of the themed "challenges". So the Kongressnavigator also appeals to participants' play instinct. People who choose to participate in the challenges receive tasks related to a topic on their mobile phone - for example, to visit a certain exhibitor or participate in a session or technical demonstration. The participants answer questions or research a route. In this way, they collect points and also gain better insight into an important topic of the Congress.

In the exhibition hall, the Kongressnavigator takes over route planning between the stands. So, right now, from your office or when you have some time and you want to prepare for the ITS World Congress, you can mark the stands you want to visit using QR codes, and then receive the fastest route to hit them all. You can also bookmark sessions and demonstrations that you don't want to miss and receive timely reminders.
Those who would you like to know more about a speaker or exhibitor can leave a virtual business card using the Kongressnavigator. During the sessions, participants can give the speakers direct feedback on their speeches, ask questions and give comments with the Kongressnavigator.

And of course, the events in the evening and various sights in Vienna are integrated into the app.

The Kongressnavigator is available for iPhones in the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal App Store WC App false http://itunes.apple.com/at/app/kongressnavigator/id557570515?mt=8 false false%> and for Android smartphones on %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Google Play Google Play WC App false http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluidtime.congressnavigator&amp;feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5mbHVpZHRpbWUuY29uZ3Jlc3NuYXZpZ2F0b3IiXQ false false%>, and can be found by searching for "Kongressnavigator". It is also available as a web app: %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal https://navigator.itsworldcongress.at Navigator WC false http://navigator.itsworldcongress.at/ false false%>.

The app can be used throughout the Congress Centre via Wi‐Fi - which means no additional data roaming charges and a longer, more intense taste of personal mobility for visitors.

The Kongressnavigator was designed by 4793 AustriaTech, a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (6620 BMVIT). The project is being funded by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund. The project partners are Fluidtime, 6624 ITS Vienna Region, CSSComputer‐Systems‐Support, TechTalk and Salzburg Research.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ertico launches ITS standardisation newsletter
    July 2, 2013
    To ensure that ITS stakeholders and end users maintain an awareness of the European and international ITS standardisation that plays a key role developing specifications and norms for future services and products, Ertico-ITS Europe has launched its ITS standardisation newsletter which provides news, background information and discussions about ITS standardisation topics. Published every 3 months, it includes stakeholder interviews to provide first-hand information and an event listing.
  • International Making Cities Livable Conference - call for papers
    November 17, 2016
    The 54th International Making Cities Livable Conference takes place in New Mexico, USA on 2-6 October 2017, with the theme of public places for community, democracy, health and equity. Paper proposals are invited from elected officials, scholars and practitioners concerned with the issues such as active mobility, walkable ten minute commuting/reshaping suburbia, integrating public health and planning, health impact assessment and more. For more details and to submit a proposal, please see the confere
  • Hamburg to bid for 2021 ITS World Congress
    August 26, 2016
    ITS Germany used its presence at the June 2016 Europe ITS Congress in Glasgow to make two major announcements from the city of Hamburg, country’s second-largest urban area. First came a formal bid to host the 2021 ITS World Congress; second, the global unveiling of new Roadwork Administration and Decision System (ROADS) software.ROADS has emerged to enable coordination of planned transport construction projects several years before start dates, to minimise impacts on traffic flows when work begins.
  • Used EV batteries to transform stationary storage
    August 26, 2016
    According to a report (link http://about.bnef.com/landing-pages/new-life-used-ev-batteries-stationary-storage/.) by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the electric vehicle market is set to grow quickly, but so far there has been no consensus on a ‘second-life’ for the many used EV batteries. In this report, senior analyst Claire Curry has compiled the first data and shows that low-cost energy storage could be here sooner than previously thought. She projects that there will be 29 GWh of used EV batter