WATonomous Quest Book - Winter 2025 (W25)
The Great Objective: Level 5 Robo-taxi Around Campus
WATonomous aims to achieve a fully autonomous Level 5 robo-taxi capable of navigating the University of Waterloo campus by the end of Winter 2025. This involves integrating hardware, software, and cognition systems to enable decision-making directly within the car. Achieving this milestone establishes the groundwork for advanced autonomous vehicle research and real-world applications.
Term Objectives Summary
The objectives for Winter 2025 focus on integrating hardware, developing software modules, and preparing the platform for autonomous operation. These include:
-
Hardware Integration
- OSCC boards: Fully integrated and functional with control drivers.
- Sensor drivers: Implemented for all sensors (camera, GPS/IMU, Lidar, radar) and tested with rosbag recordings.
- Mounts: Fabrication and installation of Lidar mirror mounts and radar mounts.
-
Software Modules
- Perception Stack: Sensor integration and testing on the car.
- Local Plan and Controller: Turning and obstacle avoidance capabilities tested on the car.
- HD Map and Global Plan: Load and test an HD map of the Waterloo regional test track.
- Behavior Tree: Implementation without requiring car testing.
- Localization: Functional with GPS/IMU and car odometry, tested on the car.
Term Objectives and Scoring
Hardware Integration
- OSCC Boards
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10/10 | Fully integrated, tested, and functional on the car with all required control drivers in the monorepo. |
| 7/10 | Partially integrated with basic functionality; at least one control driver implemented and tested. |
| 4/10 | OSCC boards physically installed but no significant software functionality. |
| 0/10 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: At least one control driver implemented and tested for a score above 4/10.
- Sensor Drivers
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10/10 | Drivers for all sensors (camera, GPS/IMU, Lidar, radar) implemented in the monorepo, with full functionality verified and rosbag recordings completed. |
| 7/10 | Drivers for most sensors implemented and partially tested; incomplete recordings. |
| 4/10 | Basic drivers implemented for one or two sensors with minimal testing. |
| 0/10 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: At least one sensor driver implemented and tested for a score above 4/10.
- Mounts
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5/5 | All mounts (Lidar mirror mounts and radar mounts) fabricated, installed, and tested. |
| 3/5 | Some mounts fabricated and installed, with partial testing. |
| 1/5 | Basic fabrication started but not installed. |
| 0/5 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: At least one mount fabricated for a score above 1/5.
Software Modules (All must be on the main branch)
- Perception Stack
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 20/20 | Fully functional with all sensors, rigorously tested on the car under diverse scenarios. |
| 15/20 | Functional with most sensors, tested on the car with minor issues. |
| 10/20 | Basic functionality with limited sensor integration, initial car tests completed. |
| 5/20 | Implementation started but no testing conducted. |
| 0/20 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: Basic functionality with at least one sensor tested on the car for a score above 5/20.
- Local Plan and Controller
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 20/20 | (MPPI or MPC) Fully functional, rigorously tested on the car, capable of turning. |
| 15/20 | (PID or Pure Pursuit) Functional with some limitations, tested on the car with minor issues. |
| 10/20 | Basic functionality implemented with initial car tests conducted. |
| 5/20 | Implementation started but no testing conducted. |
| 0/20 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: Basic functionality with initial testing for a score above 5/20.
- HD Map and Global Plan
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10/10 | Successfully loads HD map of Waterloo regional test track and is fully tested on the car. |
| 7/10 | Loads HD map but with minor issues; partially tested on the car. |
| 4/10 | Basic implementation with no significant car testing. |
| 0/10 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: Must load an HD map and perform basic functionality for a score above 4/10.
- Behavior Tree
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5/5 | Queries written, reviewed, and merged into the main branch. |
| 3/5 | Draft written and partially reviewed. |
| 1/5 | Initial development started but incomplete. |
| 0/5 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: At least a draft written for a score above 1/5.
- Localization
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10/10 | Fully tested on the car and functional with GPS/IMU and car odometry. |
| 7/10 | Functional with either GPS/IMU or car odometry; partially tested. |
| 4/10 | Basic implementation started but no significant testing. |
| 0/10 | No progress. |
Minimum Requirements: Must be functional with either GPS/IMU or car odometry for a score above 4/10.
Scoring Template
| Quest Name | Description | Due Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSCC Boards | Fully integrated and functional on the car. | 2025-02-15 | |
| Sensor Drivers | Implemented for all sensors with rosbag recordings. | 2025-03-8 | |
| Mounts | Lidar mirror mounts and radar mounts completed. | 2025-03-8 | |
| Perception Stack | Sensor integration and car testing completed. | 2025-03-31 | |
| Local Plan and Controller | Turning and obstacle avoidance tested on the car. | 2025-04-12 | |
| HD Map and Global Plan | Loads HD map of Waterloo test track, tested on car. | 2025-02-15 | |
| Behavior Tree | Fully implemented and merged into main branch. | 2025-03-15 | |
| Localization | Functional with GPS/IMU and car odometry. | 2025-04-12 |