QNX Neutrino OS to power next-generation autonomous warehouse robots

QNX today announced that Euroimpianti S.p.A. will use the latest release of the QNX Neutrino OS to power the realtime control systems and human machine interfaces (HMIs) of its next-generation autonomous warehouse robots.

Euroimpianti uses the QNX Neutrino OS in the control systems of all of its existing robots, including driverless forklifts that can load and unload trucks without human intervention. Until recently, however, Euroimpianti used another OS for the HMIs of its operator panels. Euroimpianti re-assessed this approach after evaluating the HMI capabilities of the QNX Neutrino OS 6.6 and the new QNX SDK for Apps and Media, and now plans to use QNX Neutrino in the HMIs, as well as in the control systems, of its future products.

“Our robots must work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the QNX Neutrino OS provides the reliability and performance they need to operate safely, precisely, and efficiently,” said Maurizio Calgaro, electronic engineering manager, Euroimpianti.

“With its new QNX SDK for Apps and Media, QNX Neutrino offers even greater value, enabling us to create dynamic HMIs that leverage the latest Web technologies, including HTML5. Our operator panels and control systems can now run on the same, standards-based OS, and that means greater productivity for our developers and, ultimately, faster time-to-market for our solutions.”

The QNX SDK for Apps and Media extends the capabilities of the QNX Neutrino OS 6.6, enabling embedded developers to create rich user interfaces and applications with HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, and other Web technologies. The SDK offers secure application management, comprehensive multimedia support, mobile device connectivity, an optimized HTML5 engine, and other advanced features for building mobile-class user experiences into embedded devices.

“We created the QNX Neutrino OS 6.6 to give our customers the best of both worlds: a secure, hardened OS for driving mission-critical functions and an innovative SDK for building HMIs on open-standard technologies,” said Grant Courville, director of product management, QNX Software Systems.

“Our unique approach modernizes the user experience of embedded systems, and we are excited to see that Euroimpianti is using the QNX platform to create customizable HMIs that address the unique needs of its customers.”

Euroimpianti’s systems are deployed internationally in the automotive, beverage, cosmetic, food, dairy, electrical, glass, and pharmaceutical industries. The company’s QNX-based robotic solutions include Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Cartesian robots, anthropomorphic robots, and selective compliance assembly robot arms (SCARA).

This week, at Embedded World 2015, QNX Software Systems will showcase its latest product developments for embedded developers, including the QNX SDK for Apps and Media and the new QNX Wireless Framework. Visit booth 4-358.