Yamaha is definitely pushing toward an autonomous driving technology after making its third investment into Tier IV Inc, the lead developer of the Autoware open-source self-driving operating system.
- Yamaha has invested more than JPY12.1 billion into developing autonomous driving technology.
- The ‘self-riding’ system could feature on Yamaha’s electric bike range soon.
The Japanese firm first invested in Tier IV in 2017 before adding its second investment two years later.
However, the third investment that brings the total funds injected into Tier IV currently stands at JPY12.1 billion (RM396mil), further showcasing Yamaha’s commitment to autonomous driving technology.
According to Yamaha, the new technology is aimed at “low-speed automated driving under specific conditions.”
While the technology sounds too complex to work on a motorcycle, it is hard to believe that they would be investing heavily into something that would not become applicable to their products.
Nonetheless, the new technology could be a safety feature to include in Yamaha’s upcoming electric range, something like the Neo’s or an E01.
That said, the development is considerably still at an early stage. While it may not materialize anytime soon, it seems inevitable that ‘self-riding’ technology will make its way to motorcycles.
