Questions about Autoware API

[evshary]

Hi,

I have some questions about the Autoware API.
After studying the code, I find there are 5 parts in Autoware API (autoware_api.launch.xml):

1. AD API
2. awapi (deprecated)
3. autware api adaptor
4. autoware api utils
5. rosbridge

My questions are:

1. Is awapi replaced by AD API and autoware api adaptor? What is the reason to be deprecated?
2. What is the difference between AD API and autoware api adaptor?
3. Why do we need rosbridge here? Is this just because we want to run web_controller and bridge HTTP requests to the ROS topic?
4. What is the development progress of each component? (I'm happy to help if there is something undone)
5. Is the Autoware API design related to V2X?

Sorry for so many questions, but I'm a little confused after reading the code and the design.
If there is any documentation I missed, please let me know.

Thank you.

[isamu-takagi]

1. awapi was a prototype and not enough discussion. AD API is proposed as a formal API for Autoware and is currently in the works. So we are deprecating awapi and will replace it with AD API in the future.

2. Do you mean tier4_ad_api_adaptor? If so, it is the implementation of awapi.

3. Yes, rosbridge is used to access the ros interface from a browser or a PC without ROS instalation.

4. Please wait while I check it.

5. This requires discussion. I think V2X is an internal interface (component interface in this page) rather than an API.

[evshary]

@isamu-takagi Thank you for the answers.
For question 2, what I mean AD API and autoware api adaptor is from autoware_api.launch.xml:

• AD API includes the launch file default_ad_api.launch.py and rviz_adaptors.launch.xml
• autoware api adaptor includes external_api_adaptor.launch.py, internal_api_adaptor.launch.py, and internal_api_relay.launch.xml

After reading tier4_ad_api_adaptor, tier4_ad_api_adaptor includes both awapi (deprecated) and autoware api adaptor here. As you mentioned, autoware api adaptor will replace awapi (deprecated) in the future.

However, I'm not really sure what is the role AD API here. It seems like rviz_adaptors.launch.xml provides transformation between RViz topic to Autoware API and default_ad_api.launch.py creates a simple web_server to transform requests to ROS topic, something similar to rosbridge.

[isamu-takagi]

default_ad_api.launch.py mainly launches API node (here). web_server is currently only for version. Both ROS and rosbridge require you to specify the type name, which is a problem with version APIs.

[isamu-takagi]

4. What is the development progress of each component? (I'm happy to help if there is something undone)

The component interface (internal interface) is defined here (currently only planning, control and vehicle in sub-menu). But this is the minimal definition for the current implementation, and is necessary to discuss. If you have any comments or suggestions, please create a discussion or issue.

[evshary]

default_ad_api.launch.py mainly launches API node (here). web_server is currently only for version. Both ROS and rosbridge require you to specify the type name, which is a problem with version APIs.

Great, I'll check that.