Qualcomm Technologies has announced the acquisition of Arduino, a move aimed at democratizing access to its catalog of edge computing and AI for millions of developers, educators, and makers. The operation — which remains subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions — comes with a symbolic debut: Arduino UNO Q, a new “blink to think” board (from the classic blink to AI applications) that maintains compatibility with the UNO ecosystem and the Arduino IDE. It also introduces App Lab, a unified development environment that connects RTOS, Linux, Python, and AI in one seamless experience.
The announcement fits within a series of Qualcomm acquisitions focused on the edge: Foundries.io (embedded Linux systems and secure OTA updates) and Edge Impulse (a platform for training and deploying AI models on devices). With Arduino, the manufacturer aims to accelerate prototyping and transition to production of smart solutions, ranging from object/person detection and image classification, to ambient sound recognition, detection of anomalies, or keyword spotting in voice.
“With the acquisitions of Foundries.io, Edge Impulse, and now Arduino, we are accelerating our vision to democratize access to our cutting-edge AI and computing products for the global developer community,” said Nakul Duggal, Group GM of Automotive, Industrial & Embedded IoT at Qualcomm Technologies. “By combining Arduino’s open-source spirit with Qualcomm’s portfolio, millions of developers will be able to create smarter solutions faster, with a clear path to global commercialization thanks to our ecosystem’s scale.”
From Arduino, the message remains consistent with its original identity but ambitious in scope. Fabio Violante, CEO, emphasizes that UNO Q is just the beginning of a phase in which they ‘supercharge’ their commitment to accessibility and innovation; and Massimo Banzi, co-founder, highlights that joining forces with Qualcomm will enable them to bring cutting-edge AI tools to the community ‘while preserving what has always mattered: simplicity, affordability, and community’.
UNO Q: Two brains to unify real-time control and Linux with AI acceleration
The core technical design of UNO Q combines two processors on a single board:
- An microprocessor capable of running Debian Linux, based on the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRB2210, with AI and graphics acceleration, quad-core CPU, and support for camera, audio, and display.
- A STM32U585 microcontroller for real-time control, perfect for tasks requiring precision and low latency (sensor data, precise motor control, stable signal reading).
This “dual brain” approach aims to offer the best of both worlds: Linux for AI, vision, networking, advanced interfaces, and data pipelines; and RT microcontroller for determinism and reliability in controlling the physical environment. For developers, the promise is to reduce the complexity typical of heterogeneous systems, while maintaining power and simplicity that the UNO ecosystem is known for.
Key to the existing user base, UNO Q preserves compatibility with the Arduino IDE and the UNO ecosystem (the brand’s iconic hallmark), making migration and reusing projects, libraries, and workflows straightforward.
App Lab: A Unified IDE for RTOS, Linux, Python, and AI… with native Edge Impulse integration
Alongside the hardware, Arduino launches App Lab, an integrated, open-source IDE designed to unify the development journey — from real-time control to AI on Linux, incorporating Python and application workflows. The goal is to shorten the gap between ideation, prototyping, and scaling:
- A single interface that connects different domains (RTOS, Linux, Python, AI) and makes transitioning between them seamless.
- ’Arduino Apps’ and ‘Bricks’ ready-to-use templates that speed up launching real projects.
- Direct integration with Edge Impulse to build, tune, and optimize models with real-world data (vision, audio, sensors), including object/person detection, image classification, sound recognition, anomaly detection, and keyword spotting.
For the audience Arduino has traditionally served — education, FP, university, startup prototyping, light industrial IoT — the combination of UNO Q + App Lab promises to simplify learning paths and standardize the experience: fewer tool changes and more focus on solving the problem.
Continuity with the community: open source, accessibility, and distribution
Beyond engineering, the announcement emphasizes the preservation of Arduino’s DNA: open source code, accessibility, and community. UNO Q is the first board to work with App Lab, but the classic IDE and the resources that have made Arduino an entry platform remain accessible. The goal is that beginners can power up an LED in minutes — as before — and scale up with a clear path to applications involving camera, audio, UI, and local AI models.
In distribution, UNO Q is available for order through the official Arduino store and from distributors like RS Components, DigiKey, Mouser, and Macfos. The company indicates that more authorized partners will soon carry the product.
Why does this acquisition matter? (and why now)
The convergence of AI and edge computing has challenged the old triangle of power, consumption, and complexity. In practice, projects starting “on the bench” often face the need to:
- Process data locally (latency, privacy, backhaul costs).
- Leverage sensors (camera, microphone, IMU) with trained models based on their own data.
- Connect to production systems (security, OTA, telemetry, logging) and scale up to real deployments.
Qualcomm provides silicon and capable platforms at this intersection; Arduino offers community reach, accessibility, and a culture of frictionless prototyping. Foundries.io adds embedded Linux and secure updates; Edge Impulse lowers the barrier to building models with own data. The overall result, if successful, is less time from idea to field pilot and less friction in moving to production.
Implications for education, makers, and SMEs
- Education and technical training. The “LED blink to ML and camera” learning curve shrinks: a single kit and IDE for RT and Linux, with reusable templates. This can modernize practices in technical colleges and universities without raising entry barriers.
- Makers and rapid prototyping. Less time spent wrestling with toolchains and mixed environments; more time validating ideas using sensors, vision, and audio.
- Industrial SMEs. The “dual brain” enables edge applications with local decision-making (quality, safety, maintenance) and a direct bridge to commercial OTA and ML tools without redoing the stack.
Governance and standards: the open source perspective
Arduino’s community has historically been sensitive to openness (licenses, formats, documentation). In the announcement, both Arduino and Qualcomm emphasize an open source App Lab and preserving what has made UNO an entry-level standard. Pending the full regulatory approval and integration details, the public commitment is to maintain simplicity and openness as guiding principles for the product’s future.
Schedule and event
Arduino has scheduled the live event “From Blink to Think” for October 7, 2025 (7:00 PM PT / 4:00 PM CEST) to dive deeper into the significance of the acquisition and to demonstrate UNO Q and App Lab’s capabilities. The corporate process will continue through regulatory approval until the closing.
FAQs
Will the classic IDE and UNO ecosystem still work with this new board?
Yes. UNO Q remains compatible with the Arduino IDE and the UNO ecosystem. The innovation is that it’s the first to support Arduino App Lab, the new unified environment for RTOS, Linux, Python, and AI.
What does App Lab add compared to the traditional flow (IDE + libraries)?
App Lab consolidates the idea → prototype → scale cycle into one interface with reusable apps and bricks, plus native integration with Edge Impulse for training and tuning models with real-world data (vision, audio, sensors). Its goal is to speed up and standardize the experience when working on projects combining real-time control and AI/Linux.
What is UNO Q’s architecture and the purpose of the “dual brain”?
UNO Q pairs a Debian-capable processor (Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRB2210, with AI and graphics acceleration, quad-core CPU, and support for camera, audio, display) with an STM32U585 microcontroller for real-time control. Linux manages AI/vision/networking/UI, while the microcontroller handles deterministic control of the physical environment.
When will Qualcomm close the Arduino acquisition, and where can I buy UNO Q?
The closing depends on regulatory approval and standard conditions. UNO Q is already available for order through the official Arduino store and distributors like RS Components, DigiKey, Mouser, and Macfos. More authorized partners will soon carry the product.
References: blog.arduino and qualcomm