TIER IV to co-host educational autonomous driving event, advancing tech outreach and youth talent development

TOKYO, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TIER IV, the pioneering force behind open-source software for autonomous driving, will co-host an educational event for junior and senior high school students on September 26 at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo. Organized in collaboration with Tamiya, Macnica and zero to one, a Kawaijuku Group company, the event will give participants hands-on experience with AI robots and autonomous driving technology to explore how humans and AI can collaborate in the future.

Miraikan project

TIER IV participates in Miraikan's research area, where it leads the Open-Source Autonomous Driving Project, an initiative to nurture the next generation of talent by providing opportunities to learn about and experience autonomous driving. TIER IV conducts research and development on site, advancing Autoware, open-source software for autonomous driving, while also creating a space for collaboration with corporate and public sector partners.

Deploying autonomous driving technology requires more than technological breakthroughs – developers, users and local communities must shape its future together. With Miraikan serving as one of its bases for these activities, TIER IV is expanding its public outreach to connect society and technology, drawing on experience working with developers and companies around the world through an open-source ecosystem.

Hands-on activities

The event is designed primarily for junior and senior high school students and features three interactive sessions:

• AI workshop: Participants will train an AI robot jointly developed by Tamiya and Macnica, experiencing how AI recognizes its surroundings and makes decisions based on what it sees.
• Autonomous driving simulator: Using Autoware through the online course "Building Autonomous Driving Systems," jointly developed by TIER IV and zero to one, participants will experience autonomous driving on their PCs. They will operate virtual vehicles in a simulator running on a cloud-based GPU environment and learn how autonomous vehicles recognize their surroundings, decide where to go, and control movement.
• AI RC car demonstration: TIER IV and Tamiya will demonstrate an AI-powered radio-controlled car jointly developed by the companies, showing up close how an autonomous vehicle navigates its environment.

Through these experiences, students, researchers and Miraikan's science communicators will explore key questions: How should we train AI? What does AI see when making decisions? How much responsibility should society entrust to autonomous systems?

Nurturing the next generation

TIER IV continues to expand the global Autoware ecosystem to make autonomous driving accessible to all. For autonomous driving to become ubiquitous across society, industry needs more than just software engineers – it also needs young minds that can think critically about how emerging technologies interact with society.

Going forward, TIER IV will continue to provide learning opportunities in AI and autonomous driving in collaboration with partners such as Tamiya, Macnica and zero to one. By bringing together experts in R&D, education and manufacturing, TIER IV aims to empower future innovators and invites everyone to help shape the future of mobility.

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.

Media contact
pr@tier4.jp

The word marks and logos of TIER IV are trademarks or registered trademarks of TIER IV, Inc. in Japan and other countries. All other company names, product names, service names, and logos referenced herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Autoware is a registered trademark of the Autoware Foundation.