Integrating Modular Pipelines with End-to-End Learning: A Hybrid Approach for Robust and Reliable Autonomous Driving Systems

Autonomous driving navigation relies on diverse approaches, each with advantages and limitations depending on various factors. For HD maps, modular systems excel, while end-to-end methods dominate mapless scenarios. However, few leverage the strengths of both. This paper innovates by proposing a hybrid architecture that seamlessly integrates modular perception and control modules with data-driven path planning. This innovative design leverages the strengths of both approaches, enabling a clear understanding and debugging of individual components while simultaneously harnessing the learning power of end-to-end approaches. Our proposed architecture achieved first and second place in the 2023 CARLA Autonomous Driving Challenge's SENSORS and MAP tracks, respectively. These results demonstrate the architecture's effectiveness in both map-based and mapless navigation. We achieved a driving score of 41.56 and the highest route completion of 86.03 in the MAP track of the CARLA Challenge leaderboard 1, and driving scores of 35.36 and 1.23 in the CARLA Challenge SENSOR track with route completions of 85.01 and 9.55, for, respectively, leaderboard 1 and 2. The results of leaderboard 2 raised the hybrid architecture to the first position, winning the edition of the 2023 CARLA Autonomous Driving Competition.