Tokyo – September 30, 2026 -- TIER IV, the developer behind the open-source autonomous driving software Autoware, has joined Arm Total Design for Physical AI, a move aimed at expanding Autoware's availability across Arm-based system-on-chips and in-vehicle computing platforms.
TIER IV extends its Arm partnership beyond Open AD Kit
The announcement builds on TIER IV's existing collaboration with Arm through Open AD Kit, an open framework within the Autoware Foundation ecosystem designed to simplify deployment of Autoware across computing platforms. The partnership was demonstrated publicly at CES 2026, where Open AD Kit ran on Arm-based computing platforms.
Semiconductor and OEM manufacturers gain a faster path to autonomous systems
By joining Arm Total Design for Physical AI, TIER IV plans to help semiconductor manufacturers and OEMs accelerate development of autonomous driving systems through ready-to-use Autoware configurations, spanning from Arm-based SoCs to in-vehicle computing hardware. Arm Total Design for Physical AI brings together partners across the computing and software ecosystem to accelerate development and deployment of physical AI systems that operate in real-world environments.
TIER IV CEO frames the move as a step toward democratizing autonomy
Shinpei Kato, founder and CEO of TIER IV, said open-source software alone is insufficient without a practical path to integrate it onto computing platforms that power real-world systems. He said the Arm collaboration through Open AD Kit has already helped bridge that gap, and joining Arm Total Design for Physical AI will extend the work to a broader network of partners.
Dermot O'Driscoll, vice president of go-to-market for Physical AI at Arm, said scalable autonomy depends on software and hardware evolving together, and that the expanded partnership extends the TIER IV collaboration across a wider ecosystem.
Autoware ecosystem targets broader hardware compatibility
TIER IV said it will continue working with Arm and other industry partners to lower development barriers for companies building and deploying autonomous driving systems through the Autoware ecosystem and the broader physical AI network.