Qualcomm Government Technologies, a division of Qualcomm Technologies, the US chip giant, and defence-technology firm OKSI have announced a collaboration to deploy OKSI's OMNISCIENCE autonomy software on Qualcomm's processors.
OMNISCIENCE is a modular software suite built for unmanned airborne platforms, with capabilities covering GPS-denied navigation, automatic target detection and recognition, and terminal guidance for striking targets.
OKSI launched the software in July 2024, describing it as the product of more than 30 years of work in artificial intelligence, computer vision and government research, dating to its earlier incarnation as Opto-Knowledge Systems.
The software has been optimised for Qualcomm's QCS8550 processor and is designed to scale across the company's broader Internet of Things chip portfolio, giving defence contractors a route to deploy autonomous decision-making directly on hardware in the field, rather than relying on centralised computing.
The collaboration extends OKSI's push into onboard sensing and guidance, which has this year included custom intelligent seekers for missile platforms and precision munitions, alongside a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop moving-target tracking and autonomous flight on a loitering munition.
For Qualcomm, the deal reflects a broader effort to build a defence and industrial business beyond its core handset and modem operations, a push that also includes its acquisition of PickNik Robotics, a firm specialising in robotic motion planning.
The collaboration will be demonstrated at the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting in Washington DC from 12 to 14 October.
