Qualcomm Announces Acquisition of Arduino and Unveils Next-Generation Development Platform
Qualcomm has announced the acquisition of Arduino, a move that will see the latter operate as an independent brand. According to the official press release, Arduino will continue to support a wide array of microcontrollers and microprocessors sourced from various semiconductor manufacturers.
This strategic acquisition provides Arduino’s extensive user base of 33 million active users with access to Qualcomm’s technological capabilities and global market presence. As part of this partnership, Qualcomm has introduced the Arduino Uno Q, a next-generation single-board computer. The Uno Q features a dual-processor architecture, incorporating both a Linux Debian-capable microprocessor and a real-time microcontroller. Powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210 processor, the Uno Q supports a comprehensive Linux environment and is specifically designed to facilitate AI-driven vision and audio solutions. These solutions are intended for applications ranging from advanced smart home automation to industrial automation systems.
The Uno Q board retains full compatibility with the existing Arduino IDE and ecosystem. It also marks the debut of Arduino App Lab, an open-source system created for the accelerated ideation, prototyping, and scaling of AI-powered solutions to production. This platform streamlines the Arduino development process across Real-time OS, Linux, Python, and AI workflows. Arduino App Lab further integrates with the Edge Impulse platform, enhancing the creation, refining, and optimization of AI models using real-world datasets. This integration is particularly beneficial for applications involving object and person detection, anomaly detection, ambient sound recognition, and keyword spotting.
