[Survey request] Proposal to delete several packages/implementations in perception directory

[kminoda]

Introduction

I would like to delete several packages/implementations in perception, listed below:

• heatmap_visualizer
• lidar_centerpoint/single_inference
• traffic_light_ssd_fine_detector
• tensorrt_yolo
• front_vehicle_velocity_estimator

Justification

heatmap_visualizer

https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware.universe/tree/main/perception/heatmap_visualizer

This is a script which is not intended to run on runtime. I have confirmed with the author of this script and agreed that we can delete this package.

lidar_centerpoint/single_inference

https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware.universe/blob/main/perception/lidar_centerpoint/launch/single_inference_lidar_centerpoint.launch.xml

Single inference script for CenterPoint has been added 2 years ago starting from this issue: https://github.com/orgs/autowarefoundation/discussions/2755. However, the script is not intended to run on runtime but rather at a debug time, which makes it difficult for us to apply CI on this implementation. If there is no one currently using this script, we would like to delete this launch file and some related files as well.

traffic_light_ssd_fine_detector

https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware.universe/tree/main/perception/traffic_light_ssd_fine_detector

This package is primarily implemented for traffic light detection using SSD. However, with the recent development, current Autoware uses traffic_light_fine_detector as a default option, outperforming SSD detector in most cases.
Please let us know if you are currently using this package. Also, let us know if it is difficult for you to make a transition to traffic_light_fine_detector.

tensorrt_yolo

https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware.universe/tree/main/perception/tensorrt_yolo

This package performs 2D detection on camera images to achieve camera-LiDAR fusion. This is based on YOLO, but recently TIER IV has developed YOLOX version (tensorrt_yolox) which outperforms this package in most of the cases.

front_vehicle_velocity_estimator

https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware.universe/tree/main/perception/front_vehicle_velocity_estimator

This package is currently not used in default Autoware implementation. I confirmed with the author of this script and agreed that we can delete this package.

Process of deleting these files

We will have a survey period for 2 weeks from today until 16th of February. Please comment if you have any oppositions or opinions on either of the listed files.

After this period, we are going to delete all the files listed above as long as there is no disagreements or concerns raised in this Discussion.

Related links

• Optimizing Feature Management in Autoware: A Proposal for Deprecation and Deletion Process

[xmfcx]

@kminoda -san, have you created a PR to remove these packages?

I think we can remove them right away.

And if anyone complains, we will have a chance to see if anyone was using these packages at all.

[kminoda]

Not yet, but sure. Will do 👍
(I was also thinking that 2 weeks was a bit too long)

[xmfcx]

We can merge right away, thanks!

[xmfcx]

Created an issue from this discussion.
It would make things easy to track if all the PRs point to this issue:

• Delete several packages/implementations in perception directory #4165