The Robot Operating System (ROS) is an open framework of libraries and tools that underpins much of modern robot development. At the annual ROSCon community conference, held this year in Toronto, three industry heavyweights took the stage to make strategic announcements. What they have in common is their commitment to open-source software—and their efforts to win over developers.

NVIDIA: Developing AI Agents with

On September 22, NVIDIA released Isaac ROS 5.0, a collection of GPU-accelerated software packages based on ROS. New features include workflows in which AI agents assist developers: Reusable skills handle tasks such as setting up the environment, pick-and-place operations, or adapting perception models to specific cameras. The FoundationPose model now detects and tracks the position and orientation of objects up to 5.5 times faster. Isaac ROS 5.0 supports the latest ROS version, Lyrical, runs on the Jetson platform—from Orin Nano to Thor—and is available for free as open source. According to NVIDIA, Isaac ROS reaches nearly 1.3 million ROS users; companies integrating the software include Universal Robots, Magna, and Intrinsic.

Intrinsic: Google Opens Its Industrial Stack

Intrinsic, the robotics software unit of Alphabet that has been part of Google since February, released Intrinsic Core under the Apache 2.0 license on the same day. It allows for commercial use without license fees. The package includes a vendor-neutral real-time control framework, pose detection, motion and grasping planning, Gazebo-based simulation, camera calibration, and ROS drivers. It also includes an open reference solution for feeding CNC machines with robots from FANUC and Universal Robots. “This is the core of our own software stack,” emphasizes Intrinsic CTO Brian Gerkey. Intrinsic Core does not yet cover mobile robots or humanoids.

Qualcomm: Acquisition in Motion Planning

On September 23, Qualcomm announced the acquisition of the robotics software company PickNik, based in Boulder, Colorado. PickNik maintains the open-source framework MoveIt—one of the most widely used tools for motion planning of robotic arms—and markets the commercial platform MoveIt Pro. MoveIt 1 and 2 are to remain open under the existing licenses and continue to support hardware from other vendors. At the same time, the software will be more closely integrated with Qualcomm’s Dragonwing robotics platform, initially on the VENTUNO Q Arduino boards. Qualcomm did not disclose the purchase price; the transaction is subject to customary conditions.

Trends Already Visible at HANNOVER MESSE 2026

The strategic direction set in Toronto was already becoming apparent at HANNOVER MESSE 2026. There, Qualcomm showcased its IQ10 series, a processor platform for autonomous mobile robots and humanoids. NVIDIA, together with partners, demonstrated how simulation and edge AI are making their way into the factory: The HMND 01 humanoid from the startup Humanoid completed a logistics pilot project at the Siemens plant in Erlangen using Jetson Thor; SCHUNK presented an automation cell simulated with Omniverse and Isaac; and Hexagon uses NVIDIA technology for its AEON humanoid. The Dresden-based company Wandelbots is pursuing an approach similar to Intrinsic’s: Its NOVA platform, also on display in Hanover, provides a unified control and development layer across robots from different manufacturers.

Open Software as an Accelerator

The announcements at ROSCon send a clear signal. The major technology providers are competing to provide the standard tools for the next generation of robots, and they are doing so with open-source software. For users—especially those in small and medium-sized businesses—this means more freely available, industry-proven building blocks and a shorter path from prototype to production.