Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Takuya Imayoshi) and its subsidiary, EARTHBRAIN Ltd. (President and CEO: Akinori Onodera), have entered into a collaboration with TIER IV Inc. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shinpei Kato), a pioneer in open-source software for autonomous driving, to develop autonomous technology for construction equipment.
The collaboration will focus on autonomous operation of Komatsu’s articulated and rigid dump trucks for civil engineering and quarry sites in Japan, aiming for practical use by fiscal year 2027.
Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN have been advancing automation and remote operation technologies to enable autonomous operations at construction jobsites for their customers as a collaborative partner. The two companies have recognized TIER IV’s proven expertise in autonomous driving technologies for on-road vehicles, and its leadership in developing Autoware*, open-source autonomous driving software. They have thus decided to collaborate with TIER IV.
This collaboration brings together the strengths of the three companies: TIER IV’s autonomous driving technology, Komatsu’s vehicle engineering for construction equipment, and EARTHBRAIN’s expertise in construction process management utilizing digital technologies. Together, the three companies will develop an autonomous system and fleet management system for construction equipment, aiming to bring the technology into practical use. TIER IV will co-develop the autonomous system with Komatsu and support its integration and deployment at jobsites. EARTHBRAIN will be responsible for developing the fleet management system.
The collaboration aims to deliver value to customers in the following ways:
1. Address labor shortages at civil engineering and quarry sites by enabling autonomous operation of dump trucks, contributing to reduced labor requirements.
2. Significantly improve haulage efficiency through integration of a fleet management system, allowing dynamic route optimization and stable autonomous controls.
3. Enhance safety and reduce environmental impact by minimizing fuel consumption through optimized operations and by supporting unmanned operations, which also contribute to improving the overall working environment.
Komatsu will first apply this technology to its articulated dump truck HM400 (maximum payload: 40 tons) and rigid dump truck HD785 (maximum payload: 93.9 tons), with plans to expand the technology to other models in the future. The solution is intended for a wide range of industrial sites, including steel mills and plants. Komatsu also envisions future global deployment.
TIER IV, Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN will promote autonomous operation of construction equipment and the smart transformation of civil engineering and quarry sites, contributing to solving the challenges of each customer’s jobsites.
