> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dragonwingdocs.qualcomm.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Robotics development on Qualcomm Linux with the Qualcomm Intelligent Robotics (QIR) SDK: start from the robotics image, run sample applications, develop your own robot, and link into the full QIR SDK documentation.

Robotics development on Qualcomm Linux is built around the **Qualcomm Intelligent Robotics (QIR) SDK**: a collection of ROS 2 packages, hardware-accelerated nodes, end-to-end sample applications, and a cross-compile toolchain for building robots on Qualcomm Dragonwing hardware. This section is a guided tour for evaluators and developers on the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-9075 EVK and IQ-8275 EVK. It gives you the shape of the offering and links into the full [QIR SDK documentation](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/qualcomm-intelligent-robotics-sdk-documentation) for every detailed step.

<Warning>
  **Start with the robotics image.** The robotics image is a separate Qualcomm Linux product, not the stock Qualcomm Linux (QLI) 2.0 image with a few packages added. You cannot simply add the robotics overlays to a stock QLI 2.0 build. Read [Robotics image and overlays](./robotics-image-and-overlays) before you flash or build anything.
</Warning>

## Choose your journey

The flowchart below shows the path from a bare board to a running robotics application. The fastest route is to flash the prebuilt robotics image (blue); building a customized image (purple) is optional. Every highlighted box is clickable.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    Start{"How do you want<br/>to start?"}

    Start -->|"Fastest: use the prebuilt image"| Flash["Flash the robotics image<br/>Qualcomm Launcher or QDL"]
    Start -->|"I need to customize the image"| Build["Build the robotics image<br/>KAS · QSC-CLI · eSDK"]

    Flash --> Env["Set up the environment"]
    Build --> Env
    Env --> Samples["Run sample applications<br/>robotics · platform · AI"]
    Samples --> Develop["Develop your own<br/>ROS 2 application"]

    click Flash "/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/get-started-with-qir-sdk"
    click Build "/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/optional-developer-workflows"
    click Env "/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/set-up-env-for-sample-app"
    click Samples "/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/qir-sdk-sample-applications"
    click Develop "/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/develop-applications-using-the-qir-sdk"

    classDef prep fill:#31017D,stroke:#31017D,color:#fff;
    classDef run fill:#3253DC,stroke:#3253DC,color:#fff;
    class Build prep;
    class Flash,Env,Samples,Develop run;
```

<Note>
  The QIR SDK targets the Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-9075 EVK and IQ-8275 EVK on Qualcomm Linux 2.0. Support for the RB3 Gen 2 Vision Development Kit was removed from Qualcomm Linux GA1.8. For supported hardware, see [Robotics image composition changes](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/migration-image-composition).
</Note>

## What the QIR SDK gives you

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="QIR SDK overview" icon="book-open" href="/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/qir-sdk-overview">
    What the QIR SDK is, the components it ships, and the Dragonwing hardware it supports.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Software architecture" icon="diagram-project" href="/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/qir-software-architecture">
    How the QIR SDK layers robotics components, function SDKs, and tools on top of Qualcomm Linux.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Robotics image and overlays" icon="layer-group" href="./robotics-image-and-overlays">
    Why the robotics image is a distinct Yocto product, and how to get it or build it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="QRB ROS ecosystem" icon="cubes" href="./qrb-ros-ecosystem">
    The zero-copy transport, NPU inference, camera, and benchmarking ROS 2 nodes.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Get started

The quickest path to a running robot is to flash the prebuilt robotics image and run a sample application.

| Step                                                                               | What you do                                                      |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Get started with the QIR SDK](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/get-started-with-qir-sdk)         | Understand the prebuilt packages and the two flashing paths.     |
| [Flash with Qualcomm Launcher](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/flash-with-qualcomm-launcher)     | Download and flash the robotics image with a guided tool.        |
| [Download the prebuilt packages](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/download-the-prebuilt-packages) | Get the robotics image, QIR SDK, and eSDK for your kit.          |
| [Flash the robotics image](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/flash-the-robotics-image)             | Flash over QDL, then verify the running distro.                  |
| [Set up the environment](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/set-up-env-for-sample-app)              | Apply the post-flash settings needed to run sample applications. |
| [Run the demo application](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/run-demo-application)                 | Confirm the install by publishing system-status data.            |

## Run sample applications

The QIR SDK ships end-to-end samples you can run on the dev kits. Availability depends on which robotics image you flashed (see [Robotics image and overlays](./robotics-image-and-overlays)).

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Robotics samples" icon="robot" href="/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/run-robotics-sample-applications">
    AMR motion, SLAM, AprilTag, pick-and-place, and navigation in the simulator.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform samples" icon="microchip" href="/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/run-platform-sample-applications">
    Cameras, lidar, audio, OCR, zero-copy camera, and system monitoring.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Develop applications" icon="code" href="/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/develop-applications-using-the-qir-sdk">
    Compile a ROS 2 app with the QIR SDK toolchain and explore the available APIs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Build, customize, and migrate

These workflows are optional. Use them when you need a customized robotics image or are moving from Qualcomm Linux 1.0.

| Topic                                                                                 | Purpose                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Build and customize the QIR SDK](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/optional-developer-workflows)     | Optional workflows to rebuild or customize the SDK and image.     |
| [Build the QIR SDK](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/build-the-qir-sdk)                              | Build the robotics image with KAS, QSC-CLI, or the prebuilt eSDK. |
| [Upgrade QIR SDK artifacts](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/upgrade-qir-sdk-artifact)               | Update artifacts on a running device without reflashing.          |
| [Migration from Qualcomm Linux 1.0 to 2.0](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/qir-sdk-migration-guide) | Platform, layer, and image-composition changes since 1.0.         |
| [Appendices](/SDKs/QIR-SDK-2.0/appendices)                                            | Robotics layer specifications and reference links.                |