Chip Giant Qualcomm to Buy Arduino in Big Push Beyond Smartphones

Qualcomm said it agreed to acquire Italian open-source electronics firm Arduino in a move that would see the mobile chip maker venture into the world of robotics and electronic gadgets, according to a statement released Tuesday.

The acquisition will give Qualcomm access to an open-source platform known for its user-friendly hardware and software and a community of over 33 million developers.

As part of the announcement, the companies revealed plans for a new Arduino board powered by a Qualcomm "Dragonwing" chip, designed to handle more complex robotics and AI tasks than current offerings.

Arduino will continue to operate as an independent brand, Qualcomm, which did not disclose the terms of the acquisition, said.