Intel and the founders of Arduino will release early next year the Arduino 101 (U.S.) and Genuino 101 (outside the U.S.) - an affordable learning and development board for entry-level makers and education environments based on the tiny Intel Curie module . The Intel Curie-based board will be incorporated into the Creative Technologies in the Classroom (CTC) physical computing course developed and tested by Arduino and currently deployed in over 300 schools. CTC is the first formal physical computing course for elementary and secondary school classrooms and provides educators with the tools, support needed to introduce their students to the foundations of programming, electronics and mechanics.

The board isn't really small enough to build a decent wearable -- it's 7cm long and 5.5cm wide -- but it has the right size for prototypes and getting familiar with Curie's capabilities.

It is priced comparably to entry-level microcontroller boards available today is powered by the Intel Quark SE SoC. The Intel Quark SE SoC integrates a pattern classification engine that allows it to identify different motions and activities. The Intel Curie Module includes:

• Low-power, 32-bit Intel Quark microcontroller
• 384kB flash memory, 80kB SRAM
• Low-power, integrated DSP sensor hub and pattern matching technology
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• 6-axis combo sensor with accelerometer and gyroscope
• Battery charging circuitry (PMIC)

The board joins the ranks of Arduino's open-source electronics platform, which combines hardware designs, third-party extension components, and a software programming environment for creating interactive projects.

Arduino 101 will be available in the first quarter of 2016 for a suggested retail price of US$30 (approximately 27 euros). The Intel-manufactured board will be sold under the Arduino 101 brand in the United States and under the Genuino 101 brand outside the United States.