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Introduction#

About Reference Design Guideline for LSA Vehicles#

This document serves a guideline to design and deploy a TRL-6 low speed autonomy vehicle based on Autoware. The readers can take this document as a starting point to select and configure the hardware and software components of the vehicles.

Reference Design Guideline for LSA Vehicles documentation structure#

The reference design WG publishes the guidelines for Low Speed Autonomy (LSA) vehicles, using the following document structure shown below.

Reference Design Guideline Structure

For more details about the reference design WG, its goals and details of the Autoware Foundation working groups that oversees the project, refer to the Reference Design WG wiki


Get Started#

This guide helps you select the right configuration for your Autoware-based low-speed autonomous (LSA) vehicle. Start by identifying your scenario, then use the reference designs to plan your build.

Common Scenarios#

Scenario Environment Speed Key Challenge ODD Reference
Campus Transport Outdoor, paved <15 kph Pedestrian interaction LSA-CAM-0001 to 0040
Warehouse Logistics Indoor, structured <10 kph GPS-denied navigation Indoor ODD
Last-Mile Delivery Mixed terrain <15 kph Sidewalk/road transitions LSA-CAM-0020 to 0060

Real World Examples#

These Autoware-based projects demonstrate LSA deployments you can learn from:

Production Deployments#

Project Organization Type Links
iseAuto TalTech (Estonia) Campus shuttle Project | Autoware Foundation
Aggie Auto NC A&T State University Campus shuttle Project | Case Study

Development Platforms#

Platform Scale Best For Documentation
Go-Kart 1/3 Algorithm development Details | Project
RoboRacer 1/10 Education, racing Details | RoboRacer Portal
AutoSDV Small Home projects Details | AutoSDV Book

Next Steps#

  1. Find Your Reference Design - Use the decision flowchart to identify which configuration matches your scenario
  2. Design Choices by Example - Review detailed component specifications for each configuration
  3. Hardware Configuration - Deep dive into ECUs, sensors, and chassis options
  4. Software Configuration - Setup guides for Autoware and middleware