Autoware

Autoware is an open-source software stack for autonomous driving that provides the core software components needed for perception, decision making, and vehicle control. It is designed to run on Linux and to integrate with the Robot Operating System (ROS), with newer developments also using ROS 2 to support modular, scalable autonomy frameworks.

The project began as a research-oriented effort in Japan to create a reusable autonomous driving software stack. It evolved into two main lines: Autoware.AI, a ROS 1–based implementation, and Autoware.Auto, a ROS 2–based successor. To coordinate development and broaden adoption, the Autoware Foundation was established to steward the ecosystem and governance of both branches.

Autoware provides a modular architecture that includes perception, localization and mapping, traffic and behavior planning, and vehicle control components. It supports a range of sensors such as lidar, cameras, and radar, and offers interfaces for simulation and testing. The stack is designed to be deployable on various vehicle platforms and to work with common middleware in the ROS ecosystem. It also offers integration with simulation environments such as Gazebo and CARLA for development and evaluation.

Usage of Autoware is common in academia, research labs, and industry for prototyping autonomous driving concepts, performing experiments, and educating students about autonomous systems. As an open-source project, it encourages community contributions and collaborative development across institutions and companies.