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TIER IV and Komatsu develop autonomy for three dump truck models

TIER IV and Komatsu have begun jointly developing autonomous driving systems for three dump truck models. The companies and Komatsu subsidiary EARTHBRAIN are targeting deployment at quarry and construction sites in Japan and North America in 2027.

AI.info Team · · fact-checked · against 3 sources ↓ · Published 13 Nov 2026

TIER IV and Komatsu have begun jointly developing autonomous driving systems for three dump truck models, targeting quarry and construction sites. The companies and Komatsu subsidiary EARTHBRAIN are working toward deployment in Japan and North America in 2027.

The announcement builds on a collaboration the three companies began in September 2025 to bring autonomous technology into practical use for construction equipment. At that time, the companies focused on articulated and rigid dump trucks for civil engineering and quarry sites in Japan, with a goal of practical use by fiscal year 2027.

Models and capabilities

The work covers the HD785 rigid dump truck, which has a maximum payload of 93.9 metric tons, and the HD605 rigid dump truck, with a maximum payload of 64.1 metric tons. It also includes the articulated HM400/460, with a maximum payload of 42 metric tons.

TIER IV and Komatsu will develop and verify the autonomous driving systems together. The project combines TIER IV's autonomous driving technology with Komatsu's vehicle engineering, system integration and vehicle control technologies. The intended systems would support loading, hauling and dumping in actual jobsite operations.

Managing a fleet

The companies also plan to integrate a fleet management system developed by EARTHBRAIN with the autonomous driving system. They say the aim is to extend automation beyond the operation of individual vehicles to management of a fleet across a jobsite.

In the original collaboration, EARTHBRAIN was assigned responsibility for developing the fleet management system, drawing on its experience in construction process management using digital technologies. TIER IV's role included co-developing the autonomous system with Komatsu and supporting its integration and deployment at jobsites.

Komatsu said in 2025 that the partners aimed to improve haulage efficiency through fleet management, including dynamic route optimization and stable autonomous controls. The companies also said they wanted autonomous truck operation to help address labor shortages and reduce labor requirements at civil engineering and quarry sites.

From testing to deployment

The original plan called for the technology to be applied first to the HM400 articulated dump truck and the HD785 rigid dump truck, with expansion to other models planned. The 2025 announcement also described the solution as intended for a wider range of industrial sites, including steel mills and plants, and said Komatsu envisioned future global deployment.

Under the current development effort, TIER IV, Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN plan to build operational expertise through verification testing and jobsite deployment. Their stated goal is to develop automation solutions customers can adopt and continue to use.