What is ISO 18520 about?  
ISO 18520 identifies the reference framework for the benchmarking of vision-based spatial registration and tracking (vSRT) methods for mixed and augmented reality (MAR).
The framework provides typical benchmarking processes, benchmark indicators and trial set elements that are necessary to successfully identify, define, design, select and apply to the benchmark of vision-based spatial registration and tracking (vSRT) methods for MAR. It also provides definitions for terms on benchmarking of vision-based spatial registration and tracking (vSRT) methods for mixed and augmented reality (MAR).
ISO 18520 provides a conformance checklist as a tool to clarify how each benchmarking activity conforms to ISO 18520 in a compact form by declaring which benchmarking processes and benchmark indicators are included and what types of trial sets are used in each benchmarking activity.
Who is ISO/IEC 18520?
ISO/IEC 18520 on benchmarking of vision-based spatial registration is applicable to: 
- Stakeholders
- Benchmarking service providers 
- Benchmarking competition organizer
- Technological developers
- Technology suppliers
 Why should you use ISO 18520?
In the development of mixed and augmented reality (MAR) applications, one of the most important technologies involves spatial registration and spatial tracking methods, especially vision-based methods. ISO 18520 aims at fostering objective evaluation and comparison of diverse registration and tracking methods, in order to facilitate fairer competition among small and major companies/institutes involved in MAR technologies, applications, and services.
ISO 18520 can be the baseline to standardize spatial registration and tracking methods which not only utilize a video camera but combine a video camera with other sensors such as another video camera, a depth camera, inertial sensors, and infrastructure-based positioning technologies, and which utilize technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).
The following are examples of how ISO 18520 can be used directly or indirectly:
- By a benchmarking service provider, a benchmark provider or a benchmarking competition organizer who wishes to align their benchmarking activities including self-benchmarking and open/closed competitions to be consistent with ISO/IEC 18520
- By a technology developer/supplier who wishes to estimate and evaluate the performance of a vision-based spatial registration and tracking (vSRT) method for mixed and augmented reality (MAR) appropriately with a benchmarking service provider, a benchmark provider or a benchmarking competition organizer who aligns their benchmarking activities to be consistent with ISO 18520 
- By a technology user who wishes to obtain benchmarking results based on a benchmarking activity, which is consistent with ISO 18520, or to compare the existing vision-based spatial registration and tracking for MAR in terms of their performance
