Ruling the Operational Boundaries: A Survey on Operational Design Domains of Autonomous Driving Systems

Automated driving systems (ADS) have the potential to offer a safe and efficient future for mobility. At the beginning of the design process of an ADS, the operational limits have to be defined using the operational design domain (ODD). Nonetheless, the field of ODD has only become popular recently, and the necessary regulations, standards, and development approaches are still emerging. Current research contributions in the domain of ODD have fragmented in recent years and have not followed a concrete direction. This survey examines a large proportion of the recent research in the domain of ODD by systematically identifying subject areas and categorising relevant publications, thereby integrating the approaches and showing an overview of the emerging topic area. Furthermore, it identifies existing gaps in the ODD research that need to be considered. Finally, the paper suggest relevant future development of ODD.