TOKYO, Jan. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TIER IV, an open source autonomous driving startup, today announced that it will launch sales of the Edge Perception Development Kit (hereinafter "the DevKit"), through C1 Camera distribution partners. The DevKit combines the Automotive HDR Camera C1 (hereinafter "the C1 Camera") with  an edge-computing unit and camera perception functionality provided by Autoware^*1. TIER IV will present a live demonstration of sensor fusion, including the DevKit, at "CES2023" (LVCC West Hall #6317) from January 5 to 8, 2023, in Las Vegas, the U.S.

TIER IV's C1 Camera has a high dynamic range (HDR) of up to 120 dB, automotive grade hardware, and excellent connectivity with a wide variety of applications. Currently in use by over 50 companies domestically and internationally, it is ideal not only for autonomous driving, but also a wide variety of fields such as autonomous mobile robots, security, monitoring, and more. TIER IV also leads the development of Autoware, an open-source software with various features for the development of autonomous driving systems which is employed by many companies and educational/research institutions.

TIER IV will start offering the DevKit including the C1 Camera, hardware and software which has been adopted for autonomous driving development, support tools, and installation documents. This will allow users to start building R&D environments with less time and effort, significantly reducing costs in hardware selection and shortening time-to-market for products.

TIER IV will also start offering a new GMSL2-USB3 conversion kit to support a wide variety of development with the high-performance automotive camera. The specifications and purchase information are listed below:

DevKit Contents & Options

Hardware*2	Camera	TIER IV Automotive HDR Camera C1 (C1 Camera)
Computer	ADLINK ROSCube-X (RQX-58G) ●  The C1 Camera's driver is pre-installed, and the shutter control (synchronization)/image quality adjustment functions are supported.
NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier/Orin DevKit are also supported*3.
GMSL2-USB3 Conversion Kit (New)	The C1 Camera can be used as the UVC camera for Windows (x86) PC, and more.
Software support tools (provided by OSS)	●  Camera driver (Linux kernel driver, ROS1/ROS2 driver) ●  Image-recognition ROS2 package (YOLOX) ●  Camera calibration ROS2 package ●  Camera shutter control ROS2 package (sensor synchronization function) ●  Simple image quality adjustment tool ●  Installation documents for tools ●  Other experimental functions (upcoming): Camera-based 3D object recognition, localization and white line recognition etc.

Product Website

https://sensor.tier4.jp/automotive-hdr-camera

GitHub Repository Link for the DevKit

• Setup for the edge computing unit and the camera perception: perception_ecu_container
• Camera driver: tier4_automotive_hdr_camera

Specifications for GMSL2-USB3 Conversion Kit

Power supply	USB 5V Vbus (4.75 to 5.25V)
Camera input interface	FAKRA connector (GMSL2)
USB output interface	USB 3.0 Type-C (For connector with screw lock) Band: Up to USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
Image output format	YUV422
Output frame rate	Master mode: selectable from 10/20/30 fps Slave mode: external trigger frequency dependent up to 30 fps
Reset button	Resets GMSL2-USB3 Conversion Kit
IO port	4-pins RITS connector (External trigger supply, additional power supply*4)
Operational temperature (℃)	0 to 70°C (Storage temperature: -10 to 85°C)

Operation sample video (YouTube): https://youtu.be/fDt7ndljZOQ

Future Development

TIER IV will start commercializing an autonomous driving system development kit that is integrated with LiDARs and ECUs. In addition to the features of the DevKit, the new kit will implement spatial calibration between multiple sensors, time synchronization, and advanced Camera-LiDAR fusion perception as a part of Autoware. Furthermore, synergy with Pilot.Auto*⁵ and Web.Auto^*6 will be promoted so that every component required for autonomous driving development will be provided. By providing these products to the market, we will step up initiatives to realize our vision "The Art of Open Source, Reimagine Intelligent Vehicles."

*1: Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation.
*2: The hardware can be purchased separately.
*3: The MIPI conversion kit is essential (sold separately).
*4: The additional supply is available from the DC-IN of the IO port as required (9 to 12V).
*5: Autonomous driving software platform based on Autoware.
*6: DevOps software platform for efficient development/operation of autonomous driving system.

About Distributors

AISAN TECHNOLOGY
https://aisan-mobility.com/en/lineup/c1/

ASMEC
https://www.asmec.co.jp/business/prolist.php?compid=141

OKAYA & CO
t4-sales6311@okaya.co.jp

PALTEK CORPORATION
https://www.paltek.co.jp/solution/tier4/index.html

MACNICA
auto-solution@macnica.co.jp

Ryoden Corporation
https://www.ryoden.co.jp/business/maker/industrial/maker24/

About TIER IV

TIER IV is the creator of Autoware, the world's first open-source software for autonomous driving, and provides full-stack solutions for the commercialization of intelligent vehicles based on the Autoware-defined Autonomous Driving Kit (ADK), which runs on multiple platforms. Autoware is currently used by hundreds of companies globally, with field operation tests run in about 20 countries and implemented with 30 different types of vehicles.

As a founding member of the Autoware Foundation, TIER IV is dedicated to providing open access to autonomous driving technology so that everyone, from individuals to organizations, can participate in and contribute to a sustainable ecosystem of intelligent vehicles and autonomous driving technology for the benefit of society. Learn more at https://tier4.jp/en/and follow us @tier_iv_japan.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tier-iv-to-start-providing-edge-perception-development-kit-301714697.html

Source: Tier IV, Inc.