Required equipment

Software setup

Windows simulator machine

Install Unity

Unity 2018.2.4 is required. Download the Windows installer for this version from the Unity download archive and execute it. Follow the instructions in the installer to install Unity.

Correct simulator steering angle

The LGSVL simulator steering angle needs to be inverted. In the file Assets/Scripts/VehicleInputController.cs, make the following change:

(This step will become unnecessary in a future update.)

Setup LGSVL Simulator Launcher

In a terminal, run the following commands to download and set up the LGSVL simulator launcher.

git clone https://github.com/tier4/lgsvl_simulator_launcher.git
cd lgsvl_simulator_launcher
pip install pipenv
pipenv shell
python app.py

create setting.json file in the lgsvl_simulator_launcher directory. Open setting.json in an editor and paste in the following content.

{
[
  {name:stable, path:"C:\Documents\Simulator"},
  {name:develop, path:"C:\Documents\Simulator"}
]
}

Compile simulator with batch mode

LGSVL cannot be built using the default Unity Editor build command. As described in this LGSVL issue, the simulator must be built using batch mode to correctly package assets.

Following the LGSVL build instructions, build on the command line, ensuring that the -batchmode option is specified and the -buildTarget is Windows64.

Linux Autoware machine

Setup Autoware

Follow the Autoware installation instructions to install Autoware.

Download data

Autoware requires a pointcloud map and other data to run. This data can be downloaded from the LGSVL Git large file store.

1. Install Git LFS by running the following commands.

   curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/github/git-lfs/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install git-lfs
   

2. Download the data from the LGSVL repository

   git clone [email protected]:lgsvl/autoware-data.git
   

Waypoint creation with Autoware

Prepare Autoware

To make waypoints in Autoware, load a pointcloud into Autoware and then drive around in the simulator, saving the waypoints as they are created.

First, Load the pointcloud data into Autoware using the Runtime Manager.

The pointcloud data can be found in the autoware-data/data/map/pointcloud_map_sf_portion/ directory.

Several settings need to be set in Autoware:

• Sensing tab: Enable voxel_grid_filter

• Computing tab: Enable ndt_matching and vel_pose_connect

Launch LGSVL simulator and bridge

In the Autoware Runtime Manager, open the Simulation tab and click the LGSVL simulator button. Input the Windows simulator machine IP address and the LGSVL Simulator Launcher Port in the dialog that opens.

Create a JSON configuration file using the below content and load this file from the UI by pressing the Config button.

{
  "bin_type" : "tier4-develop",
  "initial_configuration" : {
    "map" : "SanFrancisco",
    "time_of_day" : 12.0,
    "freeze_time_of_day" : true,
    "fog_intensity" : 0.0,
    "rain_intensity" : 0.0,
    "road_wetness" : 0.0,
    "enable_traffic" : true,
    "enable_pedestrian" : true,
    "traffic_density" : 300
  },
  "vehicles" : 
  [
    {
      "type" : "XE_Rigged-autoware",
      "address" : "$(autoware_machine_ip)",
      "port" : 9090,
      "command_type" : "twist",
      "enable_lidar" : true,
      "enable_gps" : true,
      "enable_main_camera" : true,
      "enable_high_quality_rendering" : true,
      "position" : {"n" : 4140310.4, "e" : 590681.5, "h" : 10},
      "orientation" : {"r" : 0.0, "p" : 0.0, "y" : 269.9}
    }
  ]
}

Drive to make waypoints

In the Autoware Runtime Manager, enable the waypoint_saver setting.

Using the G29 steering wheel controller, drive simulated cars around the simulated world. Created waypoints will be saved.

Autonomous Driving with Autoware.

Enable the following settings in the Autoware Runtime Manager for autonomous driving.

• ndt_matching
• vel_pose_connect
• lane_rule
• lane_sotp
• lane_select
• obstacle_void
• velocity_set
• pure_pursuit
• twist_filter
• waypoint_loader

The following video shows Autoware driving the simulator.