Drivora: A Unified and Extensible Infrastructure for Search-based Autonomous Driving Testing

TL;DR

Drivora is a flexible, unified testing framework for autonomous driving systems that simplifies scenario creation, supports multiple ADSs, and enhances testing efficiency using evolutionary algorithms and parallel simulation.

Contribution

It introduces a unified scenario definition and a decoupled, extensible architecture for search-based ADS testing built on CARLA, enabling easier reuse and adaptation.

Findings

Supports 12 ADSs through a unified interface

Enables large-scale, parallel scenario testing

Facilitates extensibility for new testing designs

Abstract

Search-based testing is critical for evaluating the safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems (ADSs). However, existing approaches are often built on heterogeneous frameworks (e.g., distinct scenario spaces, simulators, and ADSs), which require considerable effort to reuse and adapt across different settings. To address these challenges, we present Drivora, a unified and extensible infrastructure for search-based ADS testing built on the widely used CARLA simulator. Drivora introduces a unified scenario definition, OpenScenario, that specifies scenarios using low-level, actionable parameters to ensure compatibility with existing methods while supporting extensibility to new testing designs (e.g., multi-autonomous-vehicle testing). On top of this, Drivora decouples the testing engine, scenario execution, and ADS integration. The testing engine leverages evolutionary computation to explore new scenarios and supports flexible customization of core components. The scenario execution can run arbitrary scenarios using a parallel execution mechanism that maximizes hardware utilization for large-scale batch simulation. For ADS integration, Drivora provides access to 12 ADSs through a unified interface, streamlining configuration and simplifying the incorporation of new ADSs. Our tools are publicly available at https://github.com/MingfeiCheng/Drivora.