NIST Report: Experimental Setup for Automated Vehicle Passenger Comfort Evaluation

NIST Publications

Published March 9th, 2026

Detected March 10th, 2026

Summary

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a technical report detailing an experimental framework for evaluating passenger comfort in automated vehicles during braking. The report, NISTIR 8612, outlines a standardized test plan for assessing deceleration profiles and ride quality.

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What changed

This NIST technical report (NISTIR 8612) presents a detailed design and implementation framework for an experimental setup to evaluate passenger comfort in automated vehicles (AVs), specifically focusing on braking events. The report outlines the methodology, including the use of an instrumented test vehicle to record quantitative measures like acceleration and jerk, and emphasizes repeatability and scalability for future research. The goal is to provide a standardized test plan for assessing AV braking comfort.

This document serves as a research publication and guidance for entities involved in AV design and testing. While it does not impose new regulatory requirements or deadlines, it offers a standardized approach that manufacturers and technology companies may adopt to evaluate and improve passenger comfort in automated vehicles. Compliance officers should note this as a resource for understanding best practices in AV comfort evaluation.

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PUBLICATIONS

Experimental Setup for the Comfort Evaluation in Automated Vehicle: Design and Implementation Framework

Published

March 9, 2026

Author(s)

Wenqi Guo, Sanchit Kedia, Thomas Roth, Zeid Kootbally, Ninad Harishchandrakar, Edward Griffor, Hadhoum Hajjaj

Abstract

This technical report outlines the design and implementation of a structured experimental framework to evaluate passenger comfort during braking in automated vehicles (AVs). The study focuses on how initial velocity and available stopping distance influence deceleration profiles and perceived ride quality. Using a controlled test environment, a series of trials were conducted across a range of speeds and distances, with repeatable braking event to simulate realistic AV operations. Quantitative measures such as acceleration, jerk, and braking duration were recorded using an instrumented test vehicle to assess the comfort level of the brakes. The experimental protocol emphasizes repeatability and scalability to support future studies involving connected infrastructure, and ensures repeatability, minimizes external variability, and allows comparison across braking force levels. This framework is intended to serve as a standardized test plan for evaluating AV braking comfort in real-world or closed-course environments. Citation NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8612 Report Number 8612 NIST Pub Series NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) Pub Type NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8612 Local Download

Keywords

Automated Vehicle (AV), Passenger comfort, Braking behavior, Stopping distance, Vehicle speed, Deceleration profile, Experiment design, Acceleration, Jerk, Comfort evaluation. Metrology

Citation

Guo, W.
, Kedia, S.
, Roth, T.
, Kootbally, Z.
, Harishchandrakar, N.
, Griffor, E.
and Hajjaj, H.

(2026),
Experimental Setup for the Comfort Evaluation in Automated Vehicle: Design and Implementation Framework, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8612, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=961375       
  (Accessed March 10, 2026)