Qualcomm Launches Robotics RB3 Platform for Robot, Drone Developers

Qualcomm today announced its Robotics RB3 Platform, an integrated offering designed specifically for robotics. The platform includes an optimized set of hardware, software, and tools designed for manufacturers and developers to “create the next generation of advanced consumer, enterprise, and industrial robotics products.”

The RB3 platform is based on Qualcomm’s SDA/SDM845 system-on-chip (SoC), and integrates features such as high-performance heterogeneous computing, 4G/LTE connectivity including CBRS support for private LTE networks, and a Quallcomm AI Engine for on-device machine learning and computing vision. Additional features include high-fidelity sensor processing for perception, odometry for localization, mapping, and navigation, security features and Wi-Fi connectivity. Qualcomm said it will also introduce 5G connectivity support for the platform later this year, enabling low latency and high-throughput for industrial robotics applications.

“Our technologies are at the heart of a wide array of robotics products available today, from companion robots including Anki Vector, Elli Q and Sony Aibo, to multimedia robots like Cerevo Tripon and Keecker, to labor-saving machines such as robotic vacuum cleaners from iRobot, Ecovacs and Panasonic,” said Dev Singh, director of business development and head of autonomous robotics, drones and intelligent machines at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform, we aim to bring our cutting-edge AI, edge compute and connectivity technologies into the hands of many more robotics innovators to help spur the fast development and commercialization of a new generation of useful and intelligent robots in agriculture, consumer, delivery, inspection, service, smart manufacturing/Industry 4.0, warehousing and logistics, and other applications.”

The company said its RB3 platform is designed to allow for flexible design options for development and commercialization, from development board offerings for prototyping, to off-the-shelf system-on-module solutions for faster commercialization, as well as flexibility for chip-on-board designs to achieve cost optimization at scale. The platform supports both Linux and the Robot Operating System (ROS), while also supporting Qualcomm’s Neural Processing software development kit (SDK) for on-device AI, the Qualcomm Computer Vision Suite, the Qualcomm Hexagon DSP SDK, and Amazon’s AWS RoboMaker. The company also said it plans to support Ubuntu Linux in the future.

Lian Jye Su, principal analyst at ABI Research, said the announcement of the RB3 comes at the right time for commercial robots that need to be autonomous, agile, intelligent, and self-aware of their environments.

“For applications such as last-mile delivery, retail assistance, construction, tower inspection, construction and mining, robots need to support new capabilities beyond just function automation and control,” Jye Su said. “Thanks to its support for a wide range of sensors and the ability to use these sensors to dynamically manage, control, and schedule the robots’ functions, platforms such as Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform provides the robot with the required intelligence and enable them to make informed decisions during their operation in line with the task expected from them.”

Some of the company’s competitors have already launched similar platforms, including NVIDIA and its Jetson system, and Intel’s RealSense platform, although Jye Su said those have mainly focused on machine-vision applications that provide the robot a full autonomy for its operation. “In contrast, Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform comes with embedded connectivity, enabling robots to communicate with the outside world. This ability not only allows the robot to augment the self-awareness of its environment, but also provides the robot with additional capabilities including better collaboration with humans and machines.”

While the adoption of LTE in outdoor robotics remains low, ABI Research said it estimates the shipments of robots with cellular connectivity, including LTE and 5G, to reach 950,000 units by 2027, creating a $48 billion market opportunity for developers, chipset vendors, camera and sensor manufacturers, and robotics software and service providers.

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