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feat(autoware_carla_interface): add light weight sensor config #12525

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feat(autoware_carla_interface): add light weight sensor config
mitsudome-r Apr 30, 2026
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update README
mitsudome-r Apr 30, 2026
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mitsudome-r Apr 30, 2026
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54 changes: 39 additions & 15 deletions simulator/autoware_carla_interface/README.md
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Expand Up @@ -114,21 +114,22 @@ Ego vehicle commands from Autoware are processed through the `autoware_raw_vehic

All the key parameters can be configured in `autoware_carla_interface.launch.xml`.

| Name | Type | Default Value | Description |
| ------------------------ | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `host` | string | "localhost" | Hostname for the CARLA server |
| `port` | int | "2000" | Port number for the CARLA server |
| `timeout` | int | 20 | Timeout for the CARLA client |
| `ego_vehicle_role_name` | string | "ego_vehicle" | Role name for the ego vehicle |
| `vehicle_type` | string | "vehicle.toyota.prius" | Blueprint ID of the vehicle to spawn. The Blueprint ID of vehicles can be found in [CARLA Blueprint ID](https://carla.readthedocs.io/en/latest/catalogue_vehicles/) |
| `spawn_point` | string | None | Coordinates for spawning the ego vehicle (None is random). Format = [x, y, z, roll, pitch, yaw] |
| `sync_mode` | bool | True | Boolean flag to set synchronous mode in CARLA |
| `fixed_delta_seconds` | double | 0.05 | Time step for the simulation (related to client FPS) |
| `use_traffic_manager` | bool | False | Boolean flag to set traffic manager in CARLA |
| `max_real_delta_seconds` | double | 0.05 | Parameter to limit the simulation speed below `fixed_delta_seconds` |
| `sensor_kit_name` | string | "carla_sensor_kit_description" | Name of the sensor kit package to use for sensor configuration. Should be the \*\_description package containing config/sensor_kit_calibration.yaml |
| `sensor_mapping_file` | string | "$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/config/sensor_mapping.yaml" | Path to sensor mapping YAML configuration file |
| `config_file` | string | "$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/raw_vehicle_cmd_converter.param.yaml" | Control mapping file to be used in `autoware_raw_vehicle_cmd_converter`. Current control are calibrated based on `vehicle.toyota.prius` Blueprints ID in CARLA. Changing the vehicle type may need a recalibration. |
| Name | Type | Default Value | Description |
| --------------------------------- | ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `host` | string | "localhost" | Hostname for the CARLA server |
| `port` | int | "2000" | Port number for the CARLA server |
| `timeout` | int | 20 | Timeout for the CARLA client |
| `ego_vehicle_role_name` | string | "ego_vehicle" | Role name for the ego vehicle |
| `vehicle_type` | string | "vehicle.toyota.prius" | Blueprint ID of the vehicle to spawn. The Blueprint ID of vehicles can be found in [CARLA Blueprint ID](https://carla.readthedocs.io/en/latest/catalogue_vehicles/) |
| `spawn_point` | string | None | Coordinates for spawning the ego vehicle (None is random). Format = [x, y, z, roll, pitch, yaw] |
| `sync_mode` | bool | True | Boolean flag to set synchronous mode in CARLA |
| `fixed_delta_seconds` | double | 0.05 | Time step for the simulation (related to client FPS) |
| `use_traffic_manager` | bool | False | Boolean flag to set traffic manager in CARLA |
| `max_real_delta_seconds` | double | 0.05 | Parameter to limit the simulation speed below `fixed_delta_seconds` |
| `sensor_kit_name` | string | "carla_sensor_kit_description" | Name of the sensor kit package to use for sensor configuration. Should be the \*\_description package containing config/sensor_kit_calibration.yaml |
| `use_light_weight_sensor_mapping` | bool | False | If True, uses `sensor_mapping_light_weight.yaml` instead of the default `sensor_mapping.yaml` to reduce simulator load. See [Sensor Mapping (CARLA-specific)](#2-sensor-mapping-carla-specific) for details. |
| `sensor_mapping_file` | string | "$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/config/sensor_mapping.yaml" | Path to sensor mapping YAML configuration file. When `use_light_weight_sensor_mapping` is True, this defaults to `config/sensor_mapping_light_weight.yaml`. |
| `config_file` | string | "$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/raw_vehicle_cmd_converter.param.yaml" | Control mapping file to be used in `autoware_raw_vehicle_cmd_converter`. Current control are calibrated based on `vehicle.toyota.prius` Blueprints ID in CARLA. Changing the vehicle type may need a recalibration. |

### Sensor Configuration

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -183,6 +184,29 @@ sensor_mappings:

For CARLA sensor parameters, see [CARLA Sensor Reference](https://carla.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ref_sensors/).

##### Light-Weight Sensor Mapping

For machines with limited GPU/CPU resources, an alternative `config/sensor_mapping_light_weight.yaml` is provided to reduce simulator load. Compared to the default mapping, it:

- Uses a **single front camera** (`CAM_FRONT`) instead of the 6-camera 360-degree setup, with a wider FOV (120°) and lower resolution (1080x720) to roughly cover the area in front of the vehicle.
- Lowers sensor frequencies (e.g., LiDAR/camera at 10 Hz instead of 11 Hz).
- Keeps the same LiDAR, IMU, and GNSS configuration as the default mapping.

When enabled via `use_light_weight_sensor_mapping:=True`, the launch file also skips the `image_transport` republish nodes for the disabled cameras and the `multi_camera_combiner` node automatically.

Example usage:

```bash
ros2 launch autoware_launch e2e_simulator.launch.xml \
map_path:=$HOME/autoware_map/Town01 \
vehicle_model:=sample_vehicle \
sensor_model:=carla_sensor_kit \
simulator_type:=carla \
use_light_weight_sensor_mapping:=True
```

Note that with this configuration, features that depend on the surround cameras (such as the multi-camera RViz view) are unavailable.

### World Loading

The `carla_ros.py` sets up the CARLA world:
Expand Down
100 changes: 100 additions & 0 deletions simulator/autoware_carla_interface/config/sensor_mapping_light_weight.yaml
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@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
# Light-weight sensor mapping configuration for Autoware to CARLA
# Reduced-load variant of sensor_mapping.yaml for machines with limited GPU/CPU resources:
# - Single front camera (CAM_FRONT) with 120 deg FOV at 1080x720, instead of the 6-camera 360 deg setup
# - Same LiDAR, IMU, and GNSS configuration as sensor_mapping.yaml
# Enable via the `use_light_weight_sensor_mapping` launch argument.

# Default sensor kit to use (must be the _description package containing config/sensor_kit_calibration.yaml)
default_sensor_kit_name: carla_sensor_kit_description

sensor_mappings:
# LiDAR sensor
velodyne_top_base_link:
carla_type: sensor.lidar.ray_cast
id: top
ros_config:
frame_id: velodyne_top
topic_base: /sensing/lidar/top
topic_suffix: /pointcloud_before_sync
frequency_hz: 10
qos_profile: best_effort
parameters:
range: 100
channels: 64
points_per_second: 300000
upper_fov: 10.0
lower_fov: -30.0
rotation_frequency: 20
noise_stddev: 0.0

CAM_FRONT/camera_link:
carla_type: sensor.camera.rgb
id: CAM_FRONT
ros_config:
frame_id: CAM_FRONT/camera_optical_link
topic_image: /sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT/image_raw
topic_info: /sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT/camera_info
frequency_hz: 10
qos_profile: reliable
parameters:
image_size_x: 1080
image_size_y: 720
fov: 120.0

# IMU sensor
tamagawa/imu_link:
carla_type: sensor.other.imu
id: imu
ros_config:
frame_id: tamagawa/imu_link
topic: /sensing/imu/tamagawa/imu_raw
frequency_hz: 50
qos_profile: reliable
parameters:
noise_accel_stddev_x: 0.0
noise_accel_stddev_y: 0.0
noise_accel_stddev_z: 0.0
noise_gyro_stddev_x: 0.0
noise_gyro_stddev_y: 0.0
noise_gyro_stddev_z: 0.0

# GNSS sensor
gnss_link:
carla_type: sensor.other.gnss
id: gnss
ros_config:
frame_id: map
topic: /sensing/gnss/pose_with_covariance
frequency_hz: 2
qos_profile: reliable
parameters:
noise_alt_stddev: 0.0
noise_lat_stddev: 0.0
noise_lon_stddev: 0.0
noise_alt_bias: 0.0
noise_lat_bias: 0.0
noise_lon_bias: 0.0
covariance:
# Position covariance (variance in meters²)
position_variance: 0.01 # 0.1m standard deviation
# Orientation covariance (variance in radians²)
orientation_variance: 1.0 # Large uncertainty - orientation not measured by GNSS

# Sensor name normalization rules
normalization:
strip_suffixes:
- _base_link
- _link
- /camera_link

# Enabled sensors list
enabled_sensors:
# LiDAR
- velodyne_top_base_link

# Cameras (6 for 360-degree coverage)
- CAM_FRONT/camera_link

# IMU and GNSS
- tamagawa/imu_link
- gnss_link
18 changes: 16 additions & 2 deletions simulator/autoware_carla_interface/launch/autoware_carla_interface.launch.xml
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Expand Up @@ -22,8 +22,15 @@
<log message="[CARLA Interface] Map Path: '$(var map_path)' -> Loading CARLA Map: '$(var carla_map)'"/>

<!-- Sensor Configuration -->
<arg
name="use_light_weight_sensor_mapping"
default="False"
description="Whether to use the light-weight sensor mapping YAML that reduces the number of sensors and their frequencies for performance optimization"
/>
<arg name="sensor_kit_name" default="carla_sensor_kit_description" description="Name of the sensor kit package containing calibration"/>
<arg name="sensor_mapping_file" default="$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/config/sensor_mapping.yaml" description="Path to sensor mapping YAML"/>
<let name="sensor_mapping_file_default" value="$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/config/sensor_mapping_light_weight.yaml" if="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"/>
<let name="sensor_mapping_file_default" value="$(find-pkg-share autoware_carla_interface)/config/sensor_mapping.yaml" unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"/>
<arg name="sensor_mapping_file" default="$(var sensor_mapping_file_default)" description="Path to sensor mapping YAML"/>

<!-- CARLA Interface -->
<node pkg="autoware_carla_interface" exec="autoware_carla_interface" name="autoware_carla_interface" output="screen">
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -72,45 +79,52 @@
name="cam_front_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT/image_raw/compressed"
/>

<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="cam_front_left_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT_LEFT/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT_LEFT/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>
<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="cam_front_right_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT_RIGHT/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_FRONT_RIGHT/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>
<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="cam_back_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>
<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="cam_back_left_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK_LEFT/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK_LEFT/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>
<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="cam_back_right_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK_RIGHT/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/CAM_BACK_RIGHT/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>
<node
pkg="image_transport"
exec="republish"
name="traffic_light_republish"
args="raw compressed --ros-args -r in:=/sensing/camera/traffic_light/image_raw -r out/compressed:=/sensing/camera/traffic_light/image_raw/compressed"
unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"
/>

<!-- Multi-camera combiner for RViz visualization -->
<node pkg="autoware_carla_interface" exec="multi_camera_combiner" output="screen"/>
<node pkg="autoware_carla_interface" exec="multi_camera_combiner" output="screen" unless="$(var use_light_weight_sensor_mapping)"/>

<!-- E2E Planning Infrastructure -->
<group if="$(var use_e2e_planning)">
Expand Down
4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions simulator/autoware_carla_interface/src/autoware_carla_interface/modules/sensor_kit_loader.py
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Expand Up @@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ def _resolve_mapping_file_path(self, mapping_file: Optional[str]) -> Optional[st
# Try source directory as fallback
source_mapping = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[3] / "config" / "sensor_mapping.yaml"
if source_mapping.exists():
self.logger.warning(
f"Sensor mapping file not found at requested path: {mapping_file}. "
f"Falling back to source-tree default: {source_mapping}"
)
return str(source_mapping)

self.logger.error(f"Sensor mapping file not found: {mapping_file}")
Expand Down
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