Intel's Tiny Curie Chip to Power $30 Arduino Board

Intel wants to help fuel the next generation of makers with an affordable new development board aimed at fostering kids' interest in technology through hands-on coding projects.

Developed in collaboration with the open-source electronics prototyping platform Arduino, the Arduino 101 is the first widely available development board based on the tiny, low-power Intel Curie module for wearables, announced at this year's CES. It features an accelerometer, gyroscope, and Bluetooth Smart connectivity to enable the development of smart, connected devices.

The $30 Arduino 101 will be available at some point in the first quarter of 2016.

"Empowering budding entrepreneurs and young students has always been a priority for Intel, and by partnering with Arduino, we are bringing the power of Intel to a new generation of makers," Josh Walden, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's new technology group, said in a statement. "With the advanced features of the Intel Curie module embodied in the Arduino 101 board, young learners as well as developers can now bring to life truly unique, smart and connected creations."

The circuit board will be featured as a prototyping tool for contestants on America's Greatest Makers, a new reality show from Mark Burnett set to debut next year. It will also be used as part of the Creative Technologies in the Classroom physical computing course developed by Arduino, which has already been deployed in more than 300 schools. Intel said it plans to "work closely" with Arduino to bring the program to schools across the globe in the coming years.

"Through our work with Intel, we're able to reach a global community of entry-level makers and students with a comprehensive introduction to physical computing and now with a more advanced, powerful technology solution that will help them bring their creative visions to reality," Arduino co-founder and CEO Massimo Banzi said in a statement.

When it launches early next year, the new Intel Curie-based board will be sold under the Arduino 101 brand in the U.S. and as Genuino 101 abroad. It will be available via retailers like Amazon, Radio Shack, Conrad Electronic, Farnell Element 14, Microcenter, Mouser, RS Components, and SparkFun.