Within the Robotics Summit opening keynote, QNX President John Wall, second from proper, joined (from left) Locus Robotics’ Hamid Montazeri, Common Robots’ Anders Beck, Amazon Robotics’ Aaron Parness, and moderator Eugene Demaitre. Supply: QNX
BOSTON — On the Robotics Summit & Expo this week, QNX offered its newest analysis research, “Contained in the Robotic: Structure Benchmark Report.” It examined how robotics growth is altering as techniques develop into extra software program‑pushed, enabled by AI, and deployed alongside folks.
“Robotics groups are clearly pushing towards extra clever, autonomous techniques, however the knowledge reveals they’re additionally working up in opposition to the very actual limits of architectures that have been by no means designed for this degree of complexity or accountability,” acknowledged Jim Hirsch, world vp of of gross sales and normal embedded markets at QNX.
“Builders constantly cite 4 core challenges: integration complexity, certification delays, useful security dangers in human‑machine interplay, and making certain predictable conduct when it issues most,” he added. “The excellent news is that these are all solvable issues and by specializing in stronger software program foundations, builders can set the stage for sooner innovation and a brand new era of secure, dependable, and extremely autonomous robots.”
QNX commissioned OnePoll to conduct a web-based survey of 1,000 software program builders and engineers working in robotics throughout a number of sectors, in accordance with the Market Analysis Society’s code of conduct. It collected knowledge between Feb. 2, 2025 and April 3, 2026. All members double-opted in and have been paid an quantity relying on the size and complexity of the survey.
The study revealed probably the most vital inhibitors to progress, the hole between system ambitions and present capabilities, and builders’ views on the trade’s future, mentioned QNX, a division of BlackBerry Ltd.
{Hardware} is not the most important developer bottleneck
Nearly one in three builders (27%) named software program structure and integration as their greatest efficiency bottleneck, in response to the survey. In contrast with simply 16% who pointed to {hardware}, the analysis discovered that future progress hinges much less on new {hardware} and extra on constructing techniques which are predictable, safe, and able to dealing with blended ranges of criticality, famous QNX.
As robots transfer from managed environments reminiscent of factories and warehouses into extra dynamic environments reminiscent of metropolis streets and hospital wards, builders are recognizing that software program is changing into the deciding issue as as to whether improvements succeed or stall, it mentioned.
Trying forward, 85% of builders mentioned they anticipate software program to play a fair higher position in robotics over the subsequent three to 5 years. Groups anticipated that their greatest investments shall be in AI-driven determination making and cybersecurity (each at 51%), adopted by working techniques and real-time management software program (37%).
QNX mentioned this additional displays how software program foundations have gotten strategic property as robotics techniques develop extra advanced, interconnected, and distributed.
The survey discovered that software program growth now consumes extra developer sources than {hardware}. Supply: QNX
Deployments in human environments increase the stakes, says QNX
Robotics groups are already feeling the impression of widening deployments. Greater than 4 in 5 respondents (83%) mentioned their techniques are actually working alongside folks.
Growing deployments of robots alongside folks pose challenges. Supply: QNX
Amongst organizations that haven’t but deployed such techniques right this moment, two‑thirds (67%) mentioned they anticipate to take action inside three to 5 years. This increasing presence in much less managed environments, from surgical suites to busy store flooring is driving larger expectations round reliability, security, and predictable conduct.
QNX noticed that almost all respondents (95%) mentioned deterministic, actual‑time execution is essential to the techniques they develop. Regardless of this precedence, most growth groups acknowledged that they proceed to depend on software program not designed for actual‑time or security‑important use.
The analysis revealed that 91% of respondents run these workloads, at the least partially, on normal‑objective working techniques (GPOS), although security‑licensed business options are rated as the very best match for his or her wants. Because of this, 86% of those GPOS customers mentioned they’re open to altering their OS. QNX mentioned this distinction displays the rising pressure between flexibility and the necessity for predictable, assured behaviors as robotics deployments scale.
Certification delays, safety calls for add strain
Regulatory and compliance calls for additional intensify these challenges, noticed QNX. Two‑thirds of respondents (66%) reported challenge delays due to certification processes, rising to about 70% within the U.Okay. and Germany. In distinction, solely 56% reported delays in China, the place regulatory necessities are much less stringent.
These delays can immediately have an effect on growth prices, supply timelines, and business threat, in response to the corporate. Cybersecurity requirements reminiscent of ISO/SAE 21434 and useful security requirements like ISO 10218 have been among the many most difficult areas to adjust to, cited by 51% and 49% of respondents, respectively.
Cybersecurity and useful security are prime issues of robotics builders, the survey discovered. Supply: QNX
Curiosity in bodily AI doesn’t equal readiness, says QNX
Regardless of the software program, deployment, and compliance pressures, ambition and optimism throughout the trade stay excessive, mentioned QNX. Bodily AI was firmly on survey respondents’ roadmaps, with 89% saying that AI‑enabled robots that may understand, cause, and act autonomously within the bodily world shall be important to their organizations’ technique over the subsequent three to 5 years. China led globally, mentioned the report.
“Confidence within the lengthy‑time period potential of bodily AI is robust, however readiness stays uneven,” QNX mentioned. Solely 29% of respondents felt “very assured” of their means to make secure, predictable choices in actual‑world environments.
Ottawa-based QNX gives software-defined and bodily AI techniques for safety-critical purposes, together with working techniques, hypervisors, middleware, and growth instruments, in addition to assist and companies from embedded software program consultants. The company was acknowledged with a 2026 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its Common Embedded Improvement Platform (GEDP), which is designed to assist construct secure, safe, and high-performance robots sooner.
BlackBerry mentioned its communications expertise underpins a whole lot of tens of millions of autos on the highway and a variety of techniques throughout industrial controls, robotics, medical units, business transportation, rail, and aerospace and protection.
QNX explored the survey leads to extra element in its blog and the Code the Future podcast that includes Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at Omdia (see under).
The put up Software program changing into the most important bottleneck to bodily AI innovation, finds QNX analysis appeared first on The Robotic Report.
