Reference design#
Autoware has been developed and deployed in several autonomous vehicle projects. These projects range from prototypes, research platforms, education platforms, racing vehicles, commercial vehicles and utility vehicles. The pages in this section elaborate their designs, including hardware and software, for these projects.
The get started page provides the decision trees to find the reference design guideline that meet your needs. One can select the guideline according to the technology maturity, environment, budget, etc. You can start the process here.
Below are the lists of the design guidelines.
Main documentation#
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Privately Owned Vehicles Reference Design Documentation
A modular design guideline for building a TRL-6 privately-owned vehicle using Autoware. This document defines how to choose sensors, ECUs, actuators and software stack; how to define the Operational Design Domain (ODD); and how to conduct evaluation and testing. But it does not mandate a specific vehicle chassis. Covers a phased roadmap: from single-camera “Vision Pilot” (SAE Level 2+/2++) through multi-sensor configurations up to “Vision Drive” targeting Level 4 autonomy.
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Low Speed Autonomy Reference Design Documentation
A design guideline for building TRL-6 low-speed autonomous platforms (e.g. parking-lot robots, shuttles, small vehicles) using Autoware. Supports both indoor and outdoor use-cases, with flexible chassis and hardware configurations, adaptable ECUs, sensors and actuators. Includes guidance on software stack setup, middleware choices, optional custom workflows, and evaluation/testing procedures. Provides a solid starting point for small-scale autonomous mobility or robotics projects.
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Off-Road Autonomy Reference Design Documentation
(Up coming in Q1/Q2 2026)
Racing Robots#
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RoboRacer Reference Design Documentation
A design guideline for building TRL-6 low-speed autonomous racing platforms using Autoware. RoboRacer can be used for racing and education purpose. The simplest use case is to avoid colliding into the obstacle on a racing track. Meanwhile, one can also develop the SLAM algorithm to build the map on the fly and finishes the loop in short time.
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GoKart Reference Design Documentation
A design guideline for building TRL-6 low-speed autonomous racing platforms using Autoware. GoKart can be used for racing and education purpose. The simplest use case is to avoid colliding into the obstacle on a racing track. Meanwhile, one can also develop the SLAM algorithm to build the map on the fly and finishes the loop in short time.