Qualcomm to acquire PickNik Robotics in open-source robotics push

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced an agreement to acquire PickNik Inc., a robotics software company and steward of MoveIt, an open-source robotics manipulation framework built on the Robot Operating System. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, according to a company press release.

MoveIt is used by developers, researchers, and commercial robotics organizations across industries including industrial automation, service robotics, and mobile manipulation. Qualcomm stated it intends to keep MoveIt open-source under its existing license with community-driven roadmaps, and plans to continue supporting the framework across third-party hardware platforms.

Following the acquisition, Qualcomm plans to integrate MoveIt and PickNik's commercial platform, MoveIt Pro, with its Dragonwing robotics platforms. The company also announced planned integration with Arduino VENTUNO Q boards, with the goal of expanding access to motion planning and edge AI capabilities for a broader developer base.

"PickNik has earned tremendous trust within the global robotics community through its stewardship of MoveIt and its commitment to open-source innovation," said Nakul Duggal, EVP and Group GM at Qualcomm Technologies. "Together, we plan to make it easier for developers to build advanced robotic applications on Dragonwing robotics platforms, while continuing to support the openness and collaboration that have made MoveIt successful."

Dave Coleman, Founder and Chief Product Officer of PickNik, said the combination would allow the company to accelerate its mission and expand investment in MoveIt while preserving cross-platform support and community collaboration.

Both Qualcomm Technologies and PickNik are founding members of the Open Source Robotics Alliance. Qualcomm stated it intends to continue supporting Space ROS, a version of ROS developed for critical applications such as space exploration.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) and PickNik were demonstrating MoveIt Pro running on VENTUNO Q and Dragonwing platforms at ROSCon Toronto.

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