BlackBerry supports the commercialization of ROS 2-based industrial robots through QNX SDP 8.0, providing a robust solution in terms of safety, security, and performance.
QNX SDP 8.0 improves performance with support for up to 64 cores, the introduction of a thread scheduler, and enhanced memory management, while maintaining compatibility with previous versions. It also expands the development environment by supporting Visual Studio Code.
Targeting the Japanese market, which holds a significant share of the industrial robot market, BlackBerry leverages QNX SDP 8.0 to address safety and real-time performance challenges in ROS 2-based robot development, driving market expansion.
BlackBerry Japan held a press conference in Tokyo on June 5, 2024, emphasizing that "QNX SDP 8.0," the latest version of its software platform for embedded systems, is ideal for developing industrial and medical robots. Specifically, they explained that it would be a powerful option in terms of safety, security, and performance when commercializing robots using "ROS 2," the robot development software framework that Japanese industrial robot manufacturers are focusing on. They also showcased a demo of a controller and robotic arm that enabled real-time remote operation and haptic feedback by combining QNX SDP 8.0 and ROS 2.
BlackBerry's QNX is a software platform for embedded systems centered around the real-time operating system (RTOS) "QNX Neutrino." Over half of QNX-related business revenue is concentrated in the automotive sector, primarily focusing on in-vehicle infotainment (IVI). Sachin Agarwal, Country Sales Manager at BlackBerry Japan, said, "The other half is widely used in mission-critical fields such as industrial automation, robotics, and medical devices. Commonly valued aspects across both the automotive and these fields are safety, centered around compliance with functional safety standards; advanced security, based on the RTOS's microkernel architecture; and performance through real-time control." Having already gained high recognition in Japan's automotive sector, QNX plans to strengthen its business in the industrial robot field, a sector that holds a significant presence globally, similar to its position in the automotive market. Japanese companies account for a 45% share of the global industrial robot market, with nearly 80% of production being exported overseas. Japan also boasts more than double the number of operating robots per 10,000 people compared to the United States. "Industrial robots are crucial to the Japanese economy, and we need to strengthen the supply chain, including software," emphasized Mr. Agarwal.
Released in December 2023, QNX SDP 8.0 represents a significant evolution from its predecessor, "QNX SDP 7.1." It has undergone a comprehensive review of QNX's core RTOS architecture, resulting in substantial expansion to meet the demands of modern embedded devices. Shiro Kiuchi, Principal Field Application Engineer at BlackBerry Japan, emphasized, "While processors are incorporating more cores, we've made it possible to utilize that performance in a scalable way." Previously supporting up to 16 cores, QNX SDP 8.0 now supports up to 64 cores and introduces a thread scheduler alongside the general scheduler. Interrupt handling has been made more granular, and the network stack has been switched from NetBSD to FreeBSD. Memory management mechanisms have also been modified to support larger memory capacities. Despite these extensive architectural changes, compatibility with previous versions, including QNX SDP 7.1, has been maintained. Although architectural enhancements can sometimes lead to increased processing overhead and slower speeds, "processing performance has not been degraded at all," explained Mr. Kiuchi. Furthermore, in addition to the Eclipse-based "Momentics" development environment that QNX has consistently provided, developers can now also use the widely popular "Visual Studio Code".
While QNX SDP 8.0 boasts major performance upgrades, safety and security remain as robust as in previous versions. A testament to its safety is the achievement of certifications that meet the highest safety requirements across various functional safety standards, including IEC 61508 SIL3, IEC 62304 Class C, and ISO 26262 ASIL D. "For robot system integrators (SIer) who combine various industrial robots to build robotic systems, having the underlying software certified helps reduce costs when building systems compliant with functional safety standards," explained Mr. Kiuchi. Additionally, the microkernel that allows for the separation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical components remains unchanged, making it easier to ensure security compared to monolithic OSes, including Linux.
At the press conference, a demo was presented that combined Flexiv's robotic arm (a US company that BlackBerry has partnered with in the industrial/medical robot field) and Haply Robotics' (a Canadian company) remote operation/haptic feedback controller. The robotic arm and controller are connected to NXP Semiconductor's "i.MX 8M Plus" evaluation board. QNX SDP 8.0 is the foundation, running ROS 2, which controls the interconnection of the robotic arm and controller, along with OpenCV, which handles image recognition on the i.MX 8M Plus. Mr. Kiuchi stated, "Although Japanese industrial robot manufacturers are also undertaking development using ROS 2, commercialization seems to face challenges in areas such as safety, security, and real-time performance. QNX SDP 8.0 can address these challenges."