Autoware MCP Server

Autoware MCP Integration

  

The Autoware MCP Server provides a universal bridge between ANY AI agent (Claude, GPT, Gemini, or custom agents) and the Autoware autonomous driving stack through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This enables AI-driven mission planning, real-time vehicle control, and adaptive decision-making for autonomous vehicles.


Click the image above to watch the full autonomous driving demo

Key Features

• Universal AI Support: Works with any MCP-compatible AI agent (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.)
• Full Vehicle Control: Complete control over Autoware's autonomous driving features
• Real-Time Monitoring: Concurrent monitoring of perception, planning, and vehicle state
• Launch Management: Start, stop, and manage ROS2 launch sessions
• Safety Systems: Comprehensive safety validation at every level
• Mission Execution: Support for complex multi-step missions with waypoints

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
• ROS2 Humble
• Python 3.10+
• Autoware 0.45.1

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/autoware-mcp.git
cd autoware-mcp

# Install uv (Python package manager)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Install dependencies with uv
uv sync --all-extras --dev

Basic Usage

1. Start the MCP Server:

# Source your ROS2/Autoware workspace
source ~/autoware/install/setup.bash

# Start the MCP server
uv run autoware-mcp

1. Connect with Claude Code:

Add to your Claude Code configuration file (claude_desktop_config.json): ``json { "mcpServers": { "autoware": { "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "autoware-mcp"], "env": { "ROS_DOMAIN_ID": "your_domain_id" } } } } ``

1. Example Prompts for AI Agents:

Since AI agents may not have specific knowledge about autonomous driving, use clear, step-by-step prompts:

To launch a planning simulation: `` Please launch a planning simulation for Autoware using the MCP tools. Use the start_launch tool with the planning_simulation_mcp.launch.py file. ``

To run an autonomous driving sequence: ``` Please run the complete autonomous driving sequence:

1. Initialize the vehicle's localization at the starting position
2. Clear any existing route and set a new route to the goal position
3. Change the operation mode to autonomous
4. Monitor the vehicle's progress until it reaches the destination
5. Stop the simulation when complete

**To monitor vehicle state:**

Please check the current vehicle state including position, speed, and route status using the get_vehicle_state and get_current_route MCP tools. ```

Available MCP Tools

System Management

• health_check - Get complete system health status
• check_autoware_status - Check running Autoware components
• verify_ros2_environment - Verify ROS2 setup

Launch Management

• start_launch - Start ROS2 launch files
• stop_launch - Stop launch sessions
• list_launch_sessions - View active sessions
• get_session_status - Get detailed session information

Vehicle Control

• set_operation_mode - Change between stop/autonomous/local/remote modes
• initialize_localization - Set initial vehicle pose
• set_route - Set route to destination
• set_route_points - Set route with waypoints
• get_current_route - Get current route status

Vehicle Monitoring

• get_vehicle_state - Get vehicle position, speed, and kinematics
• monitor_operation_mode - Monitor current operation mode
• monitor_localization_state - Check localization status
• monitor_motion_state - Monitor motion readiness

ROS2 Interface

• list_ros2_nodes - List all active ROS2 nodes
• list_ros2_topics - List all ROS2 topics
• list_ros2_services - List all ROS2 services
• call_ros2_service - Call any ROS2 service
• publish_to_topic - Publish to any ROS2 topic
• echo_topic_messages - Capture messages from topics

Documentation

For comprehensive documentation, please refer to the Developer Guide

Configuration

Create a configuration file config/custom.yaml:

mcp_server:
  host: 0.0.0.0
  port: 8080
  
autoware:
  ros_domain_id: 42
  ad_api_url: http://localhost:8888
  
safety:
  max_velocity: 50.0  # m/s
  max_acceleration: 3.0  # m/s²
  emergency_deceleration: -8.0  # m/s²

Development

Running Tests

# Unit tests
pytest tests/unit -v

# Integration tests (requires Autoware)
pytest tests/integration -v

# Simulation tests
pytest tests/simulation -v

# All tests with coverage
pytest --cov=autoware_mcp --cov-report=html

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

Safety Notice

WARNING: This system is designed for research and development purposes. Always ensure:

• A safety driver is present during real vehicle testing
• Emergency stop mechanisms are properly configured
• All safety validations are enabled
• Testing is conducted in controlled environments

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. ROS2 Connection Issues:

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=42
export RMW_IMPLEMENTATION=rmw_cyclonedds_cpp

1. MCP Server Not Responding:

• Check firewall settings
• Verify Autoware is running
• Check logs: tail -f logs/mcp_server.log

1. Performance Issues:

• Monitor resource usage: htop, nvidia-smi
• Check ROS2 topics: ros2 topic hz /topic_name
• Review latency metrics in Grafana dashboard

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Autoware Foundation for the autonomous driving stack
• Model Context Protocol contributors
• ROS2 and Open Robotics community

Support

For issues and questions:

• GitHub Issues: Create an issue
• Documentation: Read the docs
• Community: Join our Discord

Roadmap

• [ ] Multi-vehicle coordination support
• [ ] Enhanced perception monitoring
• [ ] Cloud-based mission management
• [ ] V2X communication integration
• [ ] Advanced ML-based planning
• [ ] Simulation environment integration

---

Note: This project is under active development. APIs and features may change.