QNX to unveil AI robotics demos and research report

QNX will present robotics demonstrations and release a new industry research report at the Robotics Summit & Expo, focusing on software for AI-enabled robotic systems.

The BlackBerry division plans three live demonstrations showing how its real-time operating system handles robotic control tasks. It will also introduce a study based on a survey of 1,000 robotics developers worldwide, examining how software-defined and AI-enabled machines are reshaping robotics development.

One demonstration features an entry-level robotic arm built on low-cost hardware that can detect and mimic human movements to pick up objects. The display is intended to show how developers can use QNX software for learning, experimentation and early prototyping through its QNX Everywhere programme.

A second display recreates a factory-style automation environment. There, a robotic arm running the QNX operating system combines lidar, vision sensing and robot control for real-time object detection and avoidance, reacting immediately if an object or person enters its path.

The third demonstration uses Intel and NVIDIA hardware with AI-based pose detection to replicate human gestures. Visitors can interact with the system while an on-screen avatar mirrors their movements, illustrating the role of low-latency software in humanoid and AI-based robotics.

All three demonstrations are built on the QNX General Embedded Development Platform, which combines the company's RTOS and other development tools in a single environment for embedded systems work. At its stand, QNX will also show an animation explaining how the platform is used in robotics design.

Research findings

The new report, titled Inside the Robot: Architecture Benchmark Report, examines the pressures facing robotics developers as machines shift toward software-led designs and increasingly operate alongside people. According to QNX, the survey explores development obstacles, gaps between design ambitions and current systems, and views on where the market is heading.

The report reflects a broader shift in robotics, as AI models increasingly need to connect with physical systems that sense their surroundings, make decisions and execute actions in real time. For software suppliers, that creates an opening to argue that operating systems and middleware matter as much as the application layer when robots are deployed in industrial sites, warehouses, healthcare settings and other human-shared environments.

QNX has long positioned itself in safety-critical software markets, particularly automotive, industrial controls and medical devices. Its technology is already used in hundreds of millions of vehicles, as well as systems across rail, aerospace and defence, providing a base for a deeper push into commercial robotics.

Autonomy debate

President John Wall will also join a keynote panel on robot autonomy alongside executives from Amazon Robotics, Locus Robotics and Universal Robots. The discussion will address how developers and manufacturers can build systems that operate outside enclosed industrial settings and function safely in shared spaces.

The issue is becoming more central as robotics companies look for growth beyond traditional fixed industrial automation. Machines designed for logistics, inspection, service tasks and collaborative manufacturing must respond to unpredictable environments, raising technical questions around timing, sensing, control and system design.

For QNX, the message is that deterministic software behaviour remains essential even as AI takes on more perception and decision-making. In practical terms, that means ensuring control systems respond within defined time limits rather than at variable intervals that could create safety risks.

Carsten Hurasky, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at QNX, outlined the company's view of that shift in the robotics market.

"Robotics is at an inflection point where artificial intelligence is no longer confined to screens or simulations but is increasingly expressed through physical movements in shared real-world environments where the safety stakes are incredibly high," said Carsten Hurasky, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, QNX. "QNX provides the deterministic software foundation that makes this new era of Physical AI trustworthy, whether you are experimenting with a low‐cost robotic prototype or deploying advanced commercial systems in safety‐critical environments. At the upcoming Robotics Summit & Expo, we look forward to showing how developers can start quickly, scale confidently, and build robots that people can trust to perform reliably and safely 100% of the time, no matter the situation."