Qualcomm Acquires Arduino to Boost Robotics Capabilities

Qualcomm, looking to further cement its position in the burgeoning robotics market, is making a strategic move by acquiring Arduino, the well-known platform favored by hardware startups and robotics labs for prototyping. The deal, while financially undisclosed, positions Arduino as an independent subsidiary within the Qualcomm ecosystem.

This acquisition provides Qualcomm with a direct line to the grassroots innovators and early-stage companies that are shaping the future of robotics. Arduino boards, while not typically integrated into final commercial products due to pre-installed chip limitations, are invaluable for initial experimentation and proof-of-concept development.

The core strategy behind the deal is to foster brand loyalty and establish Qualcomm chips as the go-to solution for startups and builders transitioning their prototypes to commercial-grade robotic devices. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integral to robotics, Qualcomm aims to capitalize on the demand for more powerful processing capabilities.

“You start to move towards prototyping, proof of concepts, and once you’re ready, you can go commercial, which is something we are obviously very familiar with,” stated Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm’s senior vice president & general manager, automotive, industrial, and embedded IoT, highlighting the company’s long-term vision.

This move aligns with Qualcomm’s broader strategy to diversify its revenue streams and reduce its dependence on the mobile chip market, particularly as smartphone sales plateau and Apple explores in-house modem chip development. While Qualcomm’s IoT and automotive businesses are experiencing growth, accounting for 30% of overall chip sales in the last quarter, the company sees robotics as a key driver of future expansion.

Historically, accessing Qualcomm chips has been challenging for smaller developers due to large-volume sales requirements. This contrasts with Nvidia, which has aggressively targeted the robotics sector by offering developer kits for its robotics chips, readily available through retail channels at accessible price points. Nvidia has publicly identified robotics as its most promising growth area outside of AI.

To further enhance its offerings to robotics developers, Qualcomm completed acquisitions of Foundries.io and Edge Impulse in the past year. These integrations, alongside the Arduino acquisition, are intended to provide a comprehensive ecosystem for robotics development, from initial prototyping to commercial deployment. Qualcomm also has aspirations to power complex platforms such as humanoid robots, which necessitate significant AI processing capabilities akin to self-driving vehicles. This endeavor requires advanced and efficient chips, which Qualcomm is working to provide.

The first collaborative product resulting from the acquisition, the Arduino Uno Q, priced between $45 and $55, features a Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210 processor. This new offering is significant because the Qualcomm chip is powerful enough to run Linux and Arduino software simultaneously. Furthermore, one of its key features includes basic computer vision, marking a significant enhancement as it enables the device to interpret camera images and convert visual data into actionable software commands.

Current Arduino boards, relying on less powerful microcontrollers from manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics, Renesas Electronics, and NXP Semiconductors, lack the processing power required for advanced AI applications. It’s noteworthy that Qualcomm plans to maintain the availability of these chips alongside its own through the Arduino platform.

Importantly, Qualcomm emphasizes its commitment to maintaining Arduino’s existing operational structure, management team, and developer community. “My success criteria is that the Arduino ecosystem doesn’t even feel that there is any change in ownership here,” Duggal affirmed.