Tier IV: Pioneering the Future of Autonomous Driving
In an era where autonomous driving technology is rapidly advancing, Tier IV is at the forefront with a vision to democratize self-driving technologies. The company has recently unveiled a proprietary end-to-end (E2E) architecture specifically designed for Level 4+ autonomous vehicles. This breakthrough could reshape how we perceive autonomous driving and its potential applications in daily life.
At the heart of Tier IV’s initiative is the open-source software platform, Autoware, through which the company is publishing its innovative architecture. The aim is to deliver a driving experience that requires no human intervention, even in previously untested scenarios. With a commitment to rolling out autonomous mobility services across 50 locations nationwide by spring 2026, Tier IV plans to validate the effectiveness of this architecture in real-world environments.
Advancements in E2E Architecture
The newly developed E2E architecture employs a diffusion model-based machine learning approach for generating vehicle trajectories by predicting the movements of surrounding objects. This sophisticated technology allows vehicles to successfully navigate complex scenarios, including obstacle avoidance and making turns at intersections, by emulating normative and human-like driving behaviors.
By combining rule-based design with this advanced machine learning model, Tier IV has achieved a remarkable balance: high-level performance in autonomous driving coupled with interpretability and flexibility. This places the architecture as a promising solution for realizing Level 4+ automation. Furthermore, by leveraging existing components and simulation environments from Autoware, the company has automated the generation of vast quantities of training data, integrating simulated datasets with real-world data to create high-performing models efficiently.
Diverse AI Models for Various Applications
Looking ahead, Tier IV is committed to continuously improving model performance and expanding the variety of training data. The company plans to incrementally introduce diverse AI models tailored to different applications, ranging from commercial vehicles for passenger and logistics services to personal automobiles. With its innovation in E2E architecture, Tier IV aims to contribute significantly to crucial issues in Japan, such as regional revitalization and strengthening industrial competitiveness through the realization of Level 4+ autonomous driving.
About Tier IV
Founded in December 2015, Tier IV, located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a deep tech company focused on driving the social implementation of autonomous driving systems through its vision of democratizing this groundbreaking technology. As the leader in developing the world’s first open-source autonomous driving software, Autoware, Tier IV provides a software platform that meets market demands while collaborating with partners globally to expand the possibilities of autonomous driving systems. Through the ecosystem created by Autoware, Tier IV works toward a better society by unlocking the full potential of this technology.
Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation.
Company Information
- - Name: Tier IV Inc.
- - Location: Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
- - Website: tier4.jp
- - Established: December 2015
- - Main Businesses:
- Autonomous driving platform development
- Autonomous driving web service development
- Autonomous driving system development kit sales
- Education in autonomous driving technology
For inquiries regarding public relations, please contact: pr@tier4.jp