OpenDrive

OpenDRIVE is an open standard for describing road networks and their semantic content to support automated driving, traffic simulation, and related tools. It provides a machine-readable representation of road geometry, lanes, junctions, and various attributes that govern traffic rules and signaling. The format is XML-based, designed to enable interchange of accurate road-network data between map producers, simulators, planners, and research tools, ensuring consistent networks across different environments.

A typical OpenDRIVE model consists of a header with metadata and a set of Road objects. Each road includes a length, name, and a plan for the centerline geometry, expressed as a sequence of geometric primitives or curves. The lanes element defines lane sections, the number and arrangement of lanes, and each lane’s attributes such as type (driving, shoulder, border) and connectivity. Additional elements describe signals, signs, speed zones, and other traffic-related rules, as well as junctions and connections between roads to model intersections and interchanges.

OpenDRIVE is widely used in driving simulators, planning tools, and research workflows. It supports integration with other standards in the ecosystem, such as OpenSCENARIO for scenario description, and is compatible with various simulation platforms and map-generating tools. Its open nature allows conversion from other road-network formats and enables collaborative development of maps for autonomous driving testing and validation.

Development and maintenance of OpenDRIVE are carried out by a community of industry, academic, and software partners, with ongoing revisions to extend capabilities, improve fidelity, and address evolving needs in automated driving and traffic simulation.