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/vehicle/status/control_mode#

Specifications#

Item Value
Last Updated 2026-01-21
Interface Type topic
Interface Name /vehicle/status/control_mode
Data Type autoware_vehicle_msgs/msg/ControlModeReport
Rate [Hz] 10 or N/A
QoS Reliability reliable
QoS Durability volatile or transient_local

Description#

Get the current control mode status of the vehicle. The status are listed in the table below. It is recommended to set QoS to transient_local and publish only when the status changes, but currently many implementations publish the status periodically. Therefore, ensure consistency across the entire system.

Please note that ignoring a command does not mean stopping the vehicle. The vehicle may drive in any behavior, by manual control interfaces such as the driver's seat.

  • velocity group
    • /control/command/control_cmd (longitudinal field)
    • /control/command/gear_cmd
  • steering group
    • /control/command/control_cmd (lateral field)
    • /control/command/turn_indicators_cmd
  • others group
    • /control/command/hazard_lights_cmd
    • /vehicle/doors/command
control mode velocity group steering group others group
AUTONOMOUS accept accept accept
AUTONOMOUS_STEER_ONLY ignore accept accept
AUTONOMOUS_VELOCITY_ONLY accept ignore accept
MANUAL ignore ignore ignore
DISENGAGED T.B.D. T.B.D. T.B.D.
NO_COMMAND T.B.D. T.B.D. T.B.D.
NOT_READY T.B.D. T.B.D. T.B.D.

Message#

The stamp field is the status received time or hardware time such as VCU. In the case of periodic publication, use the latest time, not the last status change. For the mode field, use the valid values listed above.

Errors#

Unknown status: If the vehicle interface cannot get the status due to connection loss, etc., the status is stopped and a diagnostic error is reported.

Invalid status: If the vehicle interface receives an undefined status, stop publishing status and report as diagnostics.

Support#

Support for MANUAL and AUTONOMOUS modes is required.

Limitations#

Latency: There is an inevitable latency between sending a mode change request and this interface updating to the new state. Autoware must handle this transition period.

Override detection: Some vehicle platforms do not explicitly report override activation. In such cases, the vehicle interface calculates this state by comparing command and feedback, which may introduce detection delay.

Use Cases#

  • Control the vehicle for autonomous driving.
  • Display current control mode status to the operator.

Requirement#

  • Support getting the current control mode status of the vehicle.
  • Report the error as diagnostics if the status cannot be received or an unknown status is received.

Design#

None.

History#

Date Description
2026-01-21 First release in the new format.