Arduino has spent greater than 20 years making electronics and embedded programming accessible to college students, hobbyists, engineers and product builders around the globe.
What started as an open-source microcontroller platform has advanced right into a extensively used improvement ecosystem, with its know-how now serving to to prototype merchandise throughout industries starting from automotive and industrial automation to related units and robotics.
The corporate’s acquisition by semiconductor large Qualcomm marks a brand new chapter in that evolution. By combining Qualcomm’s AI and computing applied sciences with Arduino’s developer instruments and open-source philosophy, the corporate goals to decrease the obstacles to growing clever machines, notably in robotics and edge AI purposes.
Robotics & Automation Information spoke with Marcello Majonchi, Arduino’s chief product officer, about what the acquisition means for each firms and why he believes robotics is getting into a section just like the early days of the Web of Issues.
He additionally discusses Arduino’s newest Qualcomm-powered {hardware}, together with the Uno Q and Ventuno Q, and explains how the corporate hopes to speed up the journey from prototype to manufacturing for robotics builders.
Majonchi additionally displays on Arduino’s Italian heritage, arguing that the nation’s contributions to computing are sometimes missed regardless of pioneering improvements such because the Olivetti Programma 101 and the work of semiconductor pioneer Federico Faggin.
Wanting forward, he identifies robotics, industrial automation, and constructing and residential automation as the corporate’s three largest progress alternatives, whereas reaffirming Arduino’s dedication to open requirements and making superior know-how accessible to a wider group of builders.
Interview with Marcello Majonchi
Robotics & Automation Information: Let’s begin with the information. What’s the most recent improvement at Arduino?
Marcello Majonchi: The final yr has been very busy for us. In October, Qualcomm acquired Arduino, alongside the primary product ensuing from our collaboration.
Arduino celebrated its twenty first anniversary this yr, and I see three distinct phases in its evolution.
The primary was democratizing electronics. The second targeted on IoT and connectivity. Now, with Qualcomm, we’re getting into a 3rd section centred on edge AI, notably for automation and robotics.
Our mission has at all times been to make advanced know-how simpler to make use of, and that is still our focus.
Our newest product is the Ventuno Q, which begins transport in August. It’s essentially the most highly effective Arduino we’ve ever constructed and has a powerful give attention to robotics.
R&AN: I’ve at all times discovered Arduino fascinating. Years in the past I purchased one as a result of I take advantage of Apple Macs and, on the time, Arduino supported them whereas Raspberry Pi didn’t. I by no means bought very far with it, nevertheless it made me marvel: is Arduino nonetheless extra Mac-friendly than Raspberry Pi?
MM: Sure. Our developer instruments help Home windows, macOS and Linux, together with Apple Silicon.
The larger distinction isn’t Mac compatibility however philosophy. Raspberry Pi is primarily a {hardware} platform, whereas Arduino is a improvement platform constructed round software program instruments.
Our newest Qualcomm-based boards mix Raspberry Pi-class computing efficiency with the real-time capabilities of a microcontroller and AI-focused developer instruments.
R&AN: The Qualcomm acquisition struck me as a masterstroke. Qualcomm is a a lot bigger firm, whereas Arduino is relatively small, however I can see vital potential, particularly in robotics. What do you see because the strategic advantages for each firms?
MM: The acquisition is de facto about two issues: technique and tradition.
Strategically, Arduino has at all times targeted on making advanced know-how extra accessible. We utilized that to electronics, then IoT, and now to robotics by reducing the obstacles for builders.
Culturally, Arduino stays an impartial Qualcomm subsidiary. That provides Qualcomm direct suggestions from prospects working in IoT, robotics and edge AI, whereas giving Arduino entry to Qualcomm’s AI applied sciences and a wider ecosystem.
We’re combining Qualcomm’s power-efficient AI {hardware} with the Arduino developer stack to make applied sciences reminiscent of AI fashions and ROS 2 a lot simpler to deploy.
R&AN: I discover it fascinating that Arduino emerged in Italy. Raspberry Pi grew to become well-known within the UK, however Italy isn’t a rustic most individuals affiliate with computing. How did Arduino come out of that atmosphere?
MM: I like this query.
Italy is understood for soccer and meals, nevertheless it’s additionally made main contributions to computing – it simply hasn’t at all times been good at selling them.
The Olivetti Programma 101, considered one of many first desktop private computer systems, was developed in Italy and utilized by NASA through the Apollo 11 mission. Federico Faggin, who pioneered silicon gate know-how, was additionally Italian.
At the moment, Italy stays an essential semiconductor centre by firms reminiscent of STMicroelectronics.
Arduino itself grew out of the heritage established by Olivetti and continues that custom.
R&AN: I began my journalism profession utilizing these outdated typewriters, together with ones made by Olivetti, they usually have been fantastically engineered. Italy has a fame for elegant industrial design. Does that design philosophy affect Arduino? And what {hardware} have you ever and Qualcomm developed collectively to this point?
MM: We have already got merchandise available on the market.
The Arduino Uno Q is the primary product from our collaboration with Qualcomm. It combines a Qualcomm chipset with a microcontroller within the conventional Arduino type issue and, for simply over $50, can run edge AI fashions and energy robots.
We’re additionally launching the Ventuno Q, which delivers 40 TOPS of AI efficiency – sufficient to energy a completely autonomous AMR with a robotic arm. We demonstrated precisely that at Embedded World.
R&AN: What’s your view of the robotics trade? We’re seeing an explosion of innovation, notably in humanoid robotics, however the market continues to be taking form. The place do you see Arduino becoming into that panorama?
MM: At the moment’s robotics market jogs my memory of IoT in its early days. There’s monumental innovation, with many startups experimenting and competing. Some will turn into trade leaders, whereas others will encourage the subsequent era of applied sciences.
Arduino’s position is to decrease the obstacles to robotics improvement and velocity up the journey from prototype to manufacturing.
Greater than 95 % of automotive producers already prototype on Arduino, together with firms reminiscent of BMW, as a result of it reduces improvement time and complexity. We consider robotics will observe the identical path as extra builders achieve entry to those applied sciences.
R&AN: So Arduino is utilized by 95 % of automotive producers for prototyping, and firms reminiscent of BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz use it of their improvement work?
MM: Sure. We’ve an in depth case research on our web site exhibiting how BMW Group standardized its prototyping on Arduino.
It’s a collaboration that continues as we speak, and Mercedes-Benz has adopted the same strategy.
R&AN: I’m about to start out a cabinet-making course, and one space that pursuits me is wise furnishings. I like the concept of including electronics to furnishings, reminiscent of motorized chairs with adjustable controls. Is Arduino getting used for initiatives like that?
MM: Completely.
Our web sites, weblog.arduino.cc and projecthub.arduino.cc, function dozens of sensible furnishings, residence automation and different group initiatives constructed with Arduino.
R&AN: Do you suppose sensible furnishings is a rising market?
MM: Sure.
Alongside hobbyists constructing customized furnishings and related residence initiatives, extra firms are utilizing Arduino to develop business sensible merchandise.
We additionally launched one of many first prototyping platforms for the Matter protocol, permitting builders to construct interoperable smart-home units with out going by the complete certification course of throughout improvement.
It’s an space that’s rising quickly.
R&AN: Is there a enterprise alternative in growing requirements that everybody adopts?
MM: We’re dedicated to open requirements, so we don’t generate income from the requirements themselves.
Our enterprise is offering high-quality instruments that make these requirements simpler to undertake.
R&AN: In the event you had to decide on one space for Arduino’s future progress, whether or not it’s autonomous autos, humanoid robots or sensible furnishings, which might curiosity you essentially the most?
MM: Three sectors stand out: robotics, industrial automation, and constructing and residential automation.
These are the place we see the strongest buyer demand and the best variety of initiatives.
Past that, Arduino is utilized in every thing from satellites to child merchandise. That’s the energy of the platform – individuals regularly discover new purposes we by no means imagined.
