Wind River Highlights Next-Generation AI-Powered Edge Innovations and Real-Time Software Platforms at Embedded World 2026
Wind River, an Aptiv company and a global leader in software for the intelligent edge, is set to demonstrate the next wave of edge artificial intelligence (AI) innovation at Embedded World 2026, taking place March 10–12, 2026, in Nuremberg, Germany. Exhibiting in Hall 4, Booth 4-112, Wind River will present a comprehensive portfolio of technologies designed to help organizations deploy, manage, and scale AI-driven systems at the edge—securely, reliably, and throughout the entire lifecycle of their operations.
Powering the AI-Driven Intelligent Edge
As industries accelerate their digital transformation efforts, the convergence of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) is fundamentally reshaping how intelligent systems are designed and deployed. AI is no longer confined to centralized data centers; instead, it is increasingly embedded in physical systems operating at the edge—on factory floors, in vehicles, in aircraft, in hospitals, and across distributed retail and logistics environments.
According to Sandeep Modhvadia, Chief Product Officer at Wind River, the integration of AI into real-world, safety-critical systems represents a defining technological shift. He emphasizes that sectors such as aerospace, autonomous vehicles, and medical technology face uniquely demanding requirements where performance, determinism, and functional safety are non-negotiable. In these domains, intelligence must do more than analyze data—it must perceive, reason, and act in real time across distributed systems.
Wind River’s strategy centers on delivering reliable, modular, and scalable platforms that allow organizations to harness AI capabilities precisely where they matter most. By abstracting complexity and ensuring security from development through deployment and long-term maintenance, Wind River enables customers to focus on innovation and competitive differentiation rather than infrastructure management.
Demonstrating Edge AI Transformation
At Embedded World 2026, Wind River will showcase a broad range of demonstrations illustrating how organizations can build a robust foundation for AI at the edge.
Consolidated Edge Artificial Intelligence
One of the key exhibits will focus on consolidation and modernization of embedded systems at the edge. Historically, safety-critical workloads and general-purpose applications have operated on separate hardware systems, increasing cost, size, weight, and power consumption. Wind River’s approach enables secure consolidation of these workloads onto unified platforms.
This demonstration will highlight how security-critical applications can run alongside non-critical AI workloads without compromising safety or compliance. By leveraging virtualization, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and Linux-based orchestration, organizations can reduce hardware complexity while maintaining strict isolation and determinism. The result is a cost-efficient architecture optimized for environments where physical space and energy consumption are constrained.
Intelligent Retail at Scale
Retail environments are becoming increasingly digitized, with edge computing powering in-store analytics, inventory management, customer personalization, and loss prevention. Wind River will demonstrate how distributed retail infrastructures can operationalize edge workloads at scale.
The showcase will illustrate end-to-end lifecycle management of containerized and virtual machine (VM) workloads deployed across multiple store locations. From initial provisioning and deployment to remote updates and continuous monitoring, the platform enables retailers to maintain consistent performance and security across geographically dispersed systems. This level of orchestration ensures that edge AI applications remain resilient and up to date while minimizing operational overhead.
Aptiv PULSE™ Sensor: Smarter, Safer Warehouses
In collaboration with its parent company Aptiv, Wind River will feature the Aptiv PULSE™ Sensor solution—an advanced system designed to enhance warehouse safety and efficiency through computer vision and sensor fusion.
This demonstration combines radar technology and computer vision to monitor inventory workflows and detect potential hazards in real time. By integrating AI-driven perception with robust edge infrastructure, the solution reduces hardware complexity while improving operational safety. Warehouse operators can benefit from enhanced situational awareness, streamlined processes, and reduced risk of accidents—all while lowering total system costs.
Integrated, Cloud-Scale Quality Assurance
As embedded systems grow increasingly complex, ensuring quality and security across the development lifecycle becomes more challenging. Wind River will demonstrate how integrated, cloud-scale testing can reduce risk and accelerate product delivery.
Through scalable cloud environments, development teams can execute large-scale test campaigns early in the lifecycle, validate system behavior under diverse conditions, and identify defects long before deployment to production hardware. This approach not only shortens development cycles but also strengthens security and reliability—critical considerations for industries governed by strict regulatory frameworks.
AI-Assisted Modeling and Simulation
Another highlight will be AI-assisted modeling using generative AI and advanced simulation tools. Complex systems—such as vehicles, aircraft, and industrial machinery—require sophisticated virtual modeling before physical deployment.
Wind River’s demonstration will show how generative AI can accelerate the modeling process, enabling engineering teams to simulate intricate system behaviors and interactions more efficiently. By combining AI with digital twin and simulation technologies, organizations can optimize performance, validate safety requirements, and reduce development costs.
AI-Cobot: Physical Intelligence in Action
Perhaps one of the most visually engaging exhibits will be the AI-Cobot demonstration. A robotic arm operating on a state-of-the-art on-premises infrastructure will showcase how AI can capture real-time physical data, interpret environmental inputs, and apply business logic to perform precise tasks.
This exhibit exemplifies the concept of distributed physical intelligence—where AI systems operate locally with cloud-like capabilities while maintaining deterministic performance and security. By processing data close to its source, the AI-Cobot reduces latency, enhances privacy, and ensures operational continuity even in environments with limited connectivity.
Thought Leadership and Technical Sessions
In addition to live demonstrations, Wind River experts will participate in multiple conference and forum sessions throughout Embedded World 2026.
Conference Sessions
- Maintaining ROS on Yocto: A Survival Guide for Embedded Open-Source Integrators (March 10, 2:15 PM CET)
This session will provide guidance on sustaining Robot Operating System (ROS) implementations within Yocto-based environments, offering best practices for long-term maintainability in embedded deployments. - Real-Time and Cloud Convergence: RTOS and Linux Orchestration with Kubernetes (March 10, 4:30 PM CET)
Experts will explore how real-time operating systems and Linux can be orchestrated using Kubernetes to bridge deterministic performance with cloud-native scalability. - Improving Road User Safety in Connected Vehicles: 5G C-V2X Applications in the Real World (March 11, 10:00 CET)
This session will examine how 5G cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies enhance road safety and enable next-generation connected mobility solutions. - Industrialization of CHERI on RISC-V: Support for VxWorks and Hypervisor for Security-Critical Peripheral Systems (March 12, 12:45 CET)
Attendees will learn about CHERI capabilities and their integration with VxWorks and hypervisor technologies to strengthen system-level security. - Web Assembly in Security-Critical Embedded Systems: A Runtime for a Heterogeneous Future (March 12, 3:30 PM CET)
This discussion will focus on WebAssembly as a secure runtime environment for embedded systems operating across diverse hardware architectures.
Forum Sessions
- From RTOS to Linux: Navigating the OS Options for the Intelligent Edge (March 10, 1:30 PM, Hall 5)
- From Silos to Synergy: Achieving Manufacturing Excellence through IT/OT Convergence (March 10, 2:30 PM, Hall 5)
- AI-Driven Simulation Using Natural Language Interaction with vECUs (March 11, 2:30 PM, Hall 3)
These sessions reflect Wind River’s commitment not only to product innovation but also to knowledge sharing and ecosystem collaboration.
Enabling Lifecycle Confidence
Wind River’s product portfolio spans secure, deterministic operating systems, virtualization technologies, cloud-native orchestration, and lifecycle management tools. These solutions empower organizations to confidently design, deploy, operate, and maintain intelligent and autonomous systems over extended operational lifespans.
Security remains foundational across every stage—from initial architecture design to in-field updates. In safety-critical sectors such as automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial automation, medical technology, and telecommunications, ensuring continuous compliance and resilience is essential. Wind River’s integrated approach helps organizations mitigate risk while accelerating innovation.
A Legacy of Innovation
For more than four decades, Wind River has been at the forefront of embedded and intelligent edge software development. Its technologies have been integrated into billions of devices and systems worldwide, supporting some of the most demanding use cases across strategic industries.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in physical systems, the need for robust, secure, and scalable edge platforms continues to grow. Wind River’s presence at Embedded World 2026 underscores its role as a key enabler of this transformation.
Organizations attending the event will have the opportunity to engage directly with Wind River experts, explore live demonstrations, and discuss tailored solutions that address their specific operational challenges.
From March 10–12 in Nuremberg, visitors to Hall 4, Booth 4-112 will witness how the convergence of AI, real-time systems, and cloud-native orchestration is redefining the intelligent edge—ushering in a new era where distributed physical intelligence drives measurable business impact.
