TIER IV Releases Autonomous Racing Kart Reference Design

Sep 24, 2026
TIER IV released a public reference design for autonomous racing kart systems based on Autoware. It includes driving software, a simulator, hardware specifications, and development and evaluation tools.

TIER IV said in a press release that it released a reference design for autonomous racing kart systems in a public GitHub repository. Built on Autoware, the design includes autonomous driving software, a racing kart simulator, vehicle and hardware specifications, and tools for development and evaluation.

The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan used the design as a common platform for its Autonomous Driving AI Challenge. About 600 participants across 240 teams used it during qualifying and final rounds from July to September 2026.

The final rounds took place on September 19 and 20, with simulation and physical racing kart challenges. The common platform allowed teams to focus on autonomous driving algorithms and AI models rather than building complete systems.

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