Publication

Field operational tests (FOTs) are studies aimed at collecting data in real-traffic in order, for example, to evaluate the actual impact of in-vehicle systems on road safety. Both Japan and the US have a long history of FOTs which demonstrated both how powerful and delicate FOTs can be. In fact, on the one hand FOT data has the potential to answer in a definitive, quantitative, and statistically significant way many questions related to the actual benefits of new technologies. On the other hand, the high complexity of such studies results in a number of challenges to be faced and risks to be managed. euroFOT is one of the first large scale field operational test in Europe and aims at collecting extended data (from Controller Area Network, cameras, and extra sensors) from 1500 vehicles in real-traffic. euroFOT has the potential to catch up and even go beyond US/Japan. However, euroFOT’s high ambitions and complexity imply a number of challenges and risks. In this paper, the main challenges and risks foreseen at the moment from an Original Equipment Manufacturer stand point in euroFOT are discussed and risk management actions to minimize risks in the euroFOT project are also presented.