Mobile robots: Zebra is gone, Qualcomm is here.

Recently, global automatic identification company Zebra Technologies decided to shut down its Automatic Mobile Robot (AMR) division. Meanwhile, Qualcomm made a high-profile announcement at CES 2026 of its Dragonwing IQ10 series processors for industrial AMRs and humanoid robots. This shift in focus between the two international companies reflects a shift in competition from assembling hardware to building an ecosystem of “physical AI.”

I. Zebra is gone: The end of hardware integration

Zebra Technologies acquired Fetch Robotics for $290 million in 2021. Although Fetch has continued to launch new products since the acquisition and its robotic solutions have proven to significantly improve picking efficiency, the business has “not grown as expected.”

1、As a company specializing in barcodes, RFID, data collection, and visualization, Zebra’s core technology lies in digital management and process optimization. AMR hardware R&D, manufacturing, deployment, and maintenance represent a completely different production model, involving complex mechanical engineering, motion control, and on-site operations. This difference in technological approach, coupled with the fact that AMR is a capital-intensive business with significant investment and a long payback period, makes it difficult for internal synergies to materialize in the short term.

2、The AMR market is no longer a blue ocean; it’s now dominated by traditional industrial giants like ABB and KUKA, as well as vertically integrated players like Hikvision and Geek+, making competition increasingly fierce. As a latecomer, Zebra will find it difficult to establish a differentiated advantage and economies of scale in a short period.

Zebra’s withdrawal is not a complete rejection of the prospects of the AMR market, but a rational return based on its core capabilities.

II. Qualcomm Arrives: The New Era of “Physical AI”

Unlike Zebra’s contraction, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Qualcomm officially announced the launch of a new generation of integrated hardware, software and composite AI robot architecture, as well as a high-performance robot processor designed for industrial AMRs (AMRs) and advanced full-size humanoid robots: the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ10 series, attempting to open up new opportunities in the robot market dominated by NVIDIA.

1、According to SiliconAngle, Qualcomm’s Dragonwing IQ10 is a system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed specifically for robotics. It supports multi-lens sensor configurations including more than 20 cameras, as well as LiDAR, radar, and other applications, and will be primarily used in retail, logistics, and manufacturing.

2、Unlike NVIDIA’s strategy of emphasizing extreme performance, Qualcomm places greater emphasis on “energy efficiency” in its product positioning. Qualcomm claims that its power management performance is 30% better than its competitors, which is crucial for robots that require long battery life. Furthermore, it is building a robot ecosystem, providing integrated packages that include hardware, software, and development tools, which is expected to lower the development threshold for manufacturers. Partners include Figure AI, KUKA, Advantech, APLUX, AutoCore, and Booster.

Can Qualcomm successfully replicate its success in the mobile phone and automotive markets and create another “Android” system for robots? Which Chinese domestic company will become the first Qualcomm user? This battle for the robot ecosystem has only just begun, and everything remains to be seen.

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