TIER IV releases a reference design for autonomous racing kart systems, used by Autonomous Driving AI Challenge participants

TOKYO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TIER IV, the pioneering force behind open-source software for autonomous driving, has developed a reference design for autonomous racing kart systems and released its software and design information in a public GitHub repository. Built on Autoware, open-source software for autonomous driving, the reference design is provided alongside an environment that supports development and evaluation from simulation to real-world vehicle testing. The Autonomous Driving AI Challenge, organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE), was held from July to September 2026, and a total of 240 teams comprising approximately 600 participants used the reference design as a common development platform throughout the qualifying and final rounds. Through this initiative, TIER IV supports open technology development and the cultivation of the next generation of engineers.

Developing autonomous driving systems requires integrating a range of components, including vehicles, sensors, onboard computers, and software, into a system capable of operating in the real world. Evaluating the resulting technologies also requires simulation and real-world vehicle testing environments. Building these development and evaluation environments from scratch can place a significant burden on developers entering the field of autonomous driving, creating barriers to technology development and talent cultivation.

The Autonomous Driving AI Challenge provides students and working professionals with varying levels of technical experience an opportunity to develop autonomous driving technologies. By enabling participants to gain hands-on experience in autonomous driving software development and put their technical skills to the test, the competition aims to foster talent and encourage broader participation in the field. The final rounds held on September 19-20, 2026, featured racing karts and included both simulation-based and real-world vehicle challenges.

TIER IV developed the reference design for autonomous racing kart systems to give developers a common starting point that they can modify and extend to suit their objectives. Built on Autoware, the reference design includes autonomous driving software, a simulator, and other design information released on GitHub. By combining these publicly available resources with real vehicles and development and evaluation environments, TIER IV enabled participants to focus on developing and improving autonomous driving algorithms and AI models without having to build an entire system from scratch.

The reference design and its associated development and evaluation environments comprise the following main components:

• Vehicle and hardware configuration: TOM'S EV racing kart, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), inertial measurement unit (IMU), and onboard computer
• Autonomous driving software: Open-source software for racing karts built on Autoware
• Simulation environment: A publicly available simulator that reproduces racing kart driving, together with an online environment for evaluating developed software during the competition
• Development and evaluation tools: A web platform supporting software setup and execution, as well as the review of driving results

The autonomous driving software, simulator, and design information are available through the public GitHub repository. Real vehicles and the competition's online evaluation environment were provided in combination with these publicly available resources.

At the competition, 240 teams comprising approximately 600 participants used the reference design as a common technical foundation, developing and improving autonomous driving systems through their own ideas and expertise. Their exploration of different technical approaches from a shared foundation provided a practical example of how an open development platform can support technology development and talent cultivation.

TIER IV is working to realize the democratization of autonomous driving by expanding the open-source ecosystem centered on Autoware worldwide. Going forward, TIER IV will continue to expand its reference design offerings and enhance development and evaluation environments through open source. By collaborating with partners across industry, research, and education, the company aims to grow an ecosystem that supports the real-world deployment of autonomous driving.

About TIER IV

TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep tech innovation, pioneering Autoware, open-source software for autonomous driving. With a comprehensive suite of platforms and services built around Autoware, TIER IV provides everything from software development and vehicle procurement to operational support. Through the Autoware ecosystem, TIER IV works with partners worldwide to shape the future of intelligent vehicles with open-source software, aiming to create mobility that is safer, more sustainable, and accessible to all.

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SOURCE TIER IV, Inc.