PIX Moving and TIER IV jointly release the next-generation autonomous driving development kit PIXKIT 3.0, paired with Automotive HDR Cameras
PIX Moving and TIER IV are proud to announce the release of PIXKIT 3.0, the latest iteration of their autonomous driving development kit, equipped with TIER IV’s Automotive high-definition range (HDR) Cameras, making a significant advancement in autonomous vehicle technology.
Based in Japan, TIER IV is a pioneering company in open-source autonomous driving technology, dedicated to reimagining intelligent vehicle technologies. PIX Moving is committed to developing and manufacturing urban mobility vehicles to drive the next-generation smart mobility ecosystem. This collaborative efforts aim to provide a fundamental development platform for developers, engineers and startups looking to build smart vehicles, validate autonomous driving algorithms and conduct research and development (R&D) into autonomous vehicles, further driving the ecosystem of autonomous driving technology.
About PIXKIT 3.0
PIXKIT 3.0 is a one-stop, low-cost, high-performance development kit designed to support the latest in autonomous driving open-source software, including Autoware* Core and Autoware Universe, based on the (ROS) 2 (robot operating system). The kit has three essential elements: pure electric drive-by-wire chassis platform, sensor mounting brackets and a suite of sensors. It represents a full-stack development platform, offering open interfaces, a rich set of development tools and extensive operational tutorials. PIXKIT 3.0 aims to lower the entry barrier to autonomous driving development, enabling rapid development, testing, and deployment of autonomous vehicles.The development kit provides a solid foundation for innovators to unleash their creativity and accelerate the development of intelligent vehicles.
The integration of TIER IV’s Automotive HDR Cameras enhances the kit’s capabilities, providing HDR imaging and enabling precise perception and enhanced object detection in challenging lighting conditions. By combining PIX Moving’s expertise in autonomous driving development with TIER IV’s cutting-edge camera technology, PIXKIT 3.0 sets a new standard in the field.
PIXKIT 3.0 — Knight Driving Kit includes a cargo-type frame top produced using lightweight metal 3D printing technology, enhancing performance and safety. The Knight Driving Kit supports three modes: remote driving through controller, autonomous driving through algorithms and manual driving by humans. Both manual and autonomous driving integrated in the kit aims to achieve advanced human-machine co-driving and algorithm verification.
Future Developments
The PIXKIT 3.0 is equipped with TIER IV’s automotive HDR cameras to enhance its general performance in terms of visual perception and sensor fusion. The upcoming PIXKIT series will continue to be iterated and upgraded while armed with TIER IV’s constantly improving cameras. The camera lineup includes the C1 and C2 models, both equipped with HDR imaging technology for capturing scenes with varying levels of brightness.
The current PIXKIT 3.0 has integrated the C1 automotive camera configuration with a resolution of 2.5 MP and a dynamic range of 120 dB. It excels at capturing scenes with noticeable differences in brightness without compromising details in shadows or highlights. With its high sensitivity and low noise level, the C1 model ensures image quality even in low-light environments. It also includes light-emitting diode (LED) flicker mitigation to reduce flickering from light sources such as traffic signals and headlights. The camera is fully compatible with Autoware, and offers a gigabit multimedia serial link (GMSL) 2 interface for long-distance signal transmission and power supply.
The partnership between PIX Moving and TIER IV goes beyond PIXKIT 3.0, encompassing remote monitoring and other vision-based applications, providing essential perception capabilities for smart mobility. PIXKIT 3.0 marks the first milestone for the partnership and offers an autonomous driving development solution with the drive-by-wire hardware platform and a basic sensor package including light detection and ranging (LiDAR), camera, computing unit and navigation system etc. This solution enables the basic autonomous driving functions such as path planning, path following, vector map building, obstacle avoidance and traffic light recognition.
Flexibility and Customization
As an engineering platform built by engineers for engineers, PIXKIT 3.0 offers a high level of flexibility and customization:
· Pre-installed, pre-configured sensors for plug-and-play experience
· One-stop autonomous driving kit for zero-to-one autonomous driving development
· Highly integrated software and hardware
· Open mapping and sensor calibration tool chains for lower development thresholds
· Step by step instruction documents and open-source software Autoware
· ROS/Autoware community ecosystem
· Operational Design Domain (ODD) references for autonomous driving deployment in different scenarios
· Modular design, optional sensors and adjustable mounting brackets
· Sensor brackets of bionic structure generated by AI and manufactured through metal 3D printing
PIXKIT 3.0 offers a comprehensive hardware platform equipped with advanced sensors and drive-by-wire capabilities to empower developers, engineers and educational institutions to rapidly prototype and deploy autonomous vehicles with ease. The kit’s open controller area network (CAN) interface enables seamless integration with upper control layers, allowing for further software development and algorithm testing.
Software and Community Support
Adopting Autoware, PIXKIT 3.0 leverages the world’s first and widely acclaimed open-source software for autonomous riving. Built on ROS, this comprehensive software package enables the development and deployment of autonomous driving capabilities in a wide range of vehicles and applications. Autoware function modules cover various aspects of autonomous driving, including perception, planning, control and simulation. Autoware leverages the power of ROS and incorporates various algorithms and techniques from the field of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to enable autonomous driving capabilities. As open-source software, Autoware function modules can be customized, extended and integrated with other components based on specific project requirements. This flexibility allows developers to tailor autonomous driving systems to their needs while benefiting from existing functionalities and contributions made in the community.
TIER IV, the pioneering force behind Autoware, is a founding member of the Autoware Foundation (AWF). PIX Moving, which joined the AWF in 2018, has been actively contributing to the development and evolution of Autoware Their collaboration on PIXKIT 3.0 showcases the following key software features powered by Autoware Universe:
The PIX R&D team and TIER IV are modifying and integrating Autoware Core and Universe into PIXKIT 3.0 to provide a seamless system with a chassis platform, sensors, autonomous driving software and development experience, offering developers, engineers and researchers an open-source autonomous driving R&D platform.
To ensure a user-friendly experience, PIXKIT 3.0 is designed to be highly accessible and plug-and-play. It comes with instruction videos featuring rich technical content aiming to provide comprehensive skill development. Along with remote technical support, regular vehicle/system maintenance and upgrades, and troubleshooting support, PIXKIT 3.0 is an ideal solution for quick autonomous vehicle prototyping, autonomous driving algorithms testing, software development and autonomous vehicle demo showcasing. Combining PIX Moving’s high-precision x-by-wire chassis platform with TIER IV’s state-of-the-art automotive HDR cameras, this next-generation solution is set to revolutionize the field of autonomous mobility.
PIXKIT 3.0 offers a second option for developers to choose from based on their specific development requirements: chassis platform with a flat open top. This makes it convenient for engineers to build custom autonomous vehicles by adding a tailored pod on top.
PIX Moving and TIER IV’s collaborative efforts aim to inspire innovation, enabling a wider range of professionals and organizations to participate in the autonomous mobility revolution.
The release of PIXKIT 3.0 signifies a major milestone in autonomous mobility, enabling developers to accelerate their projects and push the boundaries of what is possible. As the industry continues to evolve, PIX Moving and TIER IV remain at the forefront, driving innovation and shaping the future of autonomous driving.
(Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation. For more details, please visit https://github.com/autowarefoundation/autoware and https://autoware.org/)
About PIX Moving
Established in 2017, PIX Moving is a global pioneer in the third generation of automobiles. Our primary focus lies in the development of autonomous driving Moving Spaces, which encompass shared options like the RoboBus and coffee truck, as well as personal choices such as the micro-NEV. PIX Moving has applied for over 200 patents, covering China, Europe, the United States, and other regions. Our products have entered over 30 countries across Europe, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia. The company boasts a diverse team of more than 200 members hailing from seven countries, including Italy, the United States, India, and Japan. PIX Moving has attracted investments from reputable sources, including the Silicon Valley venture capital fund SOSV, A-share listed company Kanshe Shares (pre-A round investment), pre-A+ round financing of nearly 100 million yuan, and A1 round financing from Japan’s TIS Corporation.
Learn more at pixmoving.com.
