Qualcomm to acquire PickNik to advance open robotics ecosystem

Qualcomm has announced that it is acquiring robotics software company PickNik, a longtime steward of MoveIt, a widely adopted open-source robotics manipulation framework.

The acquisition is intended to foster an open robotics ecosystem, providing developers with the tools, software and frameworks needed to move more efficiently from research and experimentation to prototyping, deployment and production at scale, Qualcomm said. 

In addition to remaining open-source, MoveIt is expected to offer streamlined integration with Dragonwing robotics platforms — providing developers with a more streamlined path from AI models such as VLAs and VLMs to planning, manipulation, and real-time control. 

The closing of this transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

“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, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT, and Robotics, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “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.”

Built atop the Robot Operating System (ROS), MoveIt has been used extensively by developers, students, researchers and commercial robotics organizations worldwide to create sophisticated robotic applications in nearly every industry, including industrial automation, service robotics, mobile manipulation and emerging physical AI systems.

“Since our founding, PickNik’s mission has been to provide industries with a powerful, open platform that accelerates innovation and development of advanced robotics, well beyond traditional factories,” said Dave Coleman, Founder and Chief Product Officer, PickNik Inc. “Joining Qualcomm Technologies will allow us to accelerate that mission, expand investment in MoveIt as a leading AI training platform for robotics, and deliver even more value to developers while preserving the openness, community collaboration, and cross-platform support that have always been central to our approach.”

As part of the acquisition, MoveIt, MoveIt Pro — PickNik’s commercial platform designed to support advanced robotics systems — and future PickNik technologies are poised to become more closely integrated with Dragonwing robotics platforms, Qualcomm said.

“MoveIt is entering an exciting new chapter with the resources and support to help expand its impact,” said Dave Grant, Chief Executive Officer, PickNik Inc. “We look forward to joining Qualcomm Technologies and building on MoveIt’s momentum.”