What are Field Operational Tests?

Field Operational Tests (FOT) are large-scale testing programmes aiming at a comprehensive assessment of the efficiency, quality, robustness and acceptance of ICT solutions used for smarter, safer and cleaner and more comfortable transport solutions, such as navigation and traffic information, advanced driver assistance - and cooperative systems.

The FESTA handbook defines a “Field Operational Test” (FOT) as: A study undertaken to evaluate a function, or functions, under normal operating conditions in environments typically encountered by the host vehicle(s) using quasi‐experimental methods.

This means that it must be possible to compare the effects that the function has on traffic with a baseline condition during which the function is not operating.