Qualcomm Unveils Robotics Platform for Humanoids and Industrial Automation

Qualcomm Technologies has announced a new suite of robotics technologies designed to power applications ranging from household robots to full-size humanoids, marking the company's expanded push into physical AI systems.

At CES in Las Vegas, the semiconductor manufacturer introduced the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ10 Series, a high-performance processor aimed at industrial autonomous mobile robots and humanoid platforms. The announcement includes a comprehensive robotics architecture that integrates hardware, software, and compound AI capabilities.

The technology builds on Qualcomm's expertise in edge AI and low-power computing, promising what the company describes as industry-leading power efficiency and scalability. According to Nakul Duggal, Executive Vice President at Qualcomm Technologies, the platform aims to move intelligent machines from laboratory settings into practical, real-world environments.

The company has secured a collaboration with Figure, a humanoid robotics startup, to develop next-generation compute architecture as the company scales its platforms. Brett Adcock, Figure's Founder and CEO, stated that Qualcomm's combination of compute capabilities and energy efficiency supports the company's mission to develop general-purpose humanoid robots.

Qualcomm's robotics architecture supports advanced perception and motion planning through end-to-end AI models, enabling what the company characterizes as generalized manipulation capabilities and human-robot interaction. The platform is designed to scale across various form factors while maintaining industrial-grade reliability.

The Dragonwing industrial processor roadmap currently powers humanoid robots from manufacturers including Booster and VinMotion. At CES, VinMotion's Motion 2 humanoid, powered by the Dragonwing IQ9 Series, was displayed at Qualcomm's booth alongside Booster's K1 Geek robot.

Qualcomm is building an ecosystem around its robotics platforms, working with partners including Advantech, APLUX, AutoCore, Kuka Robotics, and Robotec.ai. The company indicated it is in discussions with Kuka Robotics regarding their next-generation robotics solutions.

The announcement positions Qualcomm as a significant player in the emerging robotics processor market, particularly for humanoid and industrial automation applications targeting retail, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.