An Open Approach to Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are an emerging application of automotive technology. They can recognize the scene, plan the path, and control the motion by themselves while interacting with drivers. Although they receive considerable attention, components of autonomous vehicles are not accessible to the public but instead are developed as proprietary assets. To facilitate the development of autonomous vehicles, this article introduces an open platform using commodity vehicles and sensors. Specifically, the authors present algorithms, software libraries, and datasets required for scene recognition, path planning, and vehicle control. This open platform allows researchers and developers to study the basis of autonomous vehicles, design new algorithms, and test their performance using the common interface.