ISO 16505:2019

Overview

ISO 16505:2019 - "Road vehicles - Ergonomic and performance aspects of Camera Monitor Systems - Requirements and test procedures" - defines minimum safety, ergonomic and performance requirements and associated test procedures for Camera Monitor Systems (CMS) intended to replace mandatory inside and outside rearview mirrors on road vehicles (classes I–IV per UN Regulation No. 46). The standard is technology‑neutral (unless stated otherwise), focuses on the presentation of required outside information inside the vehicle, and covers system architectures such as one camera → one monitor or one monitor displaying multiple legally prescribed fields of view. Note: ADAS features (e.g., parking aids) and UN Reg. No. 46 mirror classes V and VI are out of scope.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 16505 organizes requirements (Clause 6) and test methods (Clause 7) around ergonomic and performance domains, including:

• System documentation and intended use - required documentation, default/adjusted/temporary views, overlays, and user controls.
• Operating readiness / availability - system startup, failure modes and behavior.
• Field of view - ensuring legally prescribed viewing areas are presented.
• Magnification and resolution - average and minimum magnification factors; resolution measured via MTF (modulation transfer function) and related methods.
• Image quality - monitor isotropy, luminance/contrast rendering, colour rendering, artefacts, sharpness, depth of field and geometric distortion.
• Time behaviour - frame rate, image formation time and overall system latency.
• Failure behaviour and functional safety - requirements for safe fallback and failure handling; Clause 8 addresses functional safety aspects.
• Environmental influences - weather and ambient conditions that affect CMS performance.
• Special ergonomic considerations - e.g., needs of older drivers.
• Annexes - normative and informative guidance for UN Regulation No. 46 application, formulae, magnification calculation, resolution correlation, distortion measurement and long‑distance methods.

Practical applications and users

ISO 16505 is intended for:

• OEM vehicle manufacturers integrating CMS to replace mirrors or certify compliance.
• Camera and display/system suppliers designing hardware and software to meet ergonomic and performance requirements.
• Test laboratories and homologation authorities conducting compliance testing against ISO requirements and supporting regulatory approval.
• Safety engineers and ergonomic specialists assessing human factors, visibility and failure modes. Benefits include harmonized test procedures, clearer requirements for image quality and latency, and guidance to ensure safe, usable CMS installations.

Related standards and notes

• ISO 16505 complements UN Regulation No. 46 (mirror regulations); Annex A provides specific application guidance for UN R46 classes II and IV.
• The document is technology‑neutral and excludes ADAS (parking aids); manufacturers must still verify combined system architectures meet the stated requirements.

Keywords: ISO 16505, Camera Monitor Systems, CMS, road vehicles, ergonomic requirements, performance requirements, test procedures, field of view, MTF, system latency, monitor integration, UN Regulation No. 46.