Plus, which develops AI-based autonomous trucking software, and Tier IV, a developer of open-source software for autonomous driving, are partnering to accelerate the development and deployment of ‘Autonomy 2.0’ advanced autonomous driving solutions in Japan, starting with Level 4 autonomous trucks on the country’s expressways. The collaboration supports a Japanese government-led initiative to expedite the development of autonomous driving technologies, aimed at addressing the country’s critical driver shortage.
As part of the collaboration, Plus and Tier IV will co-create a customized autonomous driving software solution for the Japan market by integrating Plus’s end-to-end virtual driver AI model with Tier IV’s platform based on ‘Autoware’ – open-source software for autonomous driving championed by Tier IV.
“We’ve always believed that co-creation with our partners is the fastest way to bring the best autonomous driving systems to the world,” said Tier IV’s CEO, Shinpei Kato. “Plus is a global autonomous driving software company that’s already powering the Level 4 autonomous trucks of leading truck makers in the United States and Europe like Traton Group’s Scania, MAN and International, Iveco Group, as well as Hyundai. This makes Plus the ideal partner to accelerate deployment of Autonomy 2.0-based autonomous driving technology in Japan, starting with autonomous trucks.”
“Driverless trucks are a necessary solution to address Japan’s acute truck driver shortage and aging population,” added David Liu, CEO and co-founder of Plus. “We are excited to leverage our AV2.0 Generative AI-based autonomous driving technology and expertise in deploying autonomous trucks with global truck makers to work with Tier IV to accelerate the rollout of driverless trucks in Japan.”
A study by the Nomura Research Institute has projected a 36% shortfall in truck drivers in Japan by 2030. To address this challenge, Plus and Tier IV are joining forces, leveraging Tier IV’s experience and proven track record in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) project to develop autonomous trucks based on vehicles from Japanese vehicle manufacturers. Through the collaboration, the companies will pave the way for more innovative and efficient freight transportation for the Japanese market.
Interested in Plus? Don’t miss Antonello De Galizia, staff system safety engineer, Plus, discussing the company’s SOTIF strategy for building safe autonomous trucks at this year’s ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo on Tuesday, May 20, as part of the AI, software, architecture and data conference track.