Intel hopes to power your next wearable with the tiny Curie module

During Intel’s keynote at CES 2015, the company announced something that will push the boundaries of what we can do with wearable technology. The module is called the Curie, and it runs off of the company’s Quark chip announced over a year ago. The Curie module hosts a number of different features that are important to run a wearable computing device, and at only the size of a button, the Curie will likely be used to slim down wearables in the future. Here is the list of important features the Curie will bring to the wearable world:

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

The folks at Intel are excited to see where this device will take wearable technology, and they’re quite optimistic in this little product. Mike Bell, Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s New Devices Group, explains:

Last year, we partnered with leading technology, fashion and lifestyle brands to help build a robust wearable ecosystem. With the Intel Curie module, Intel will continue to push the envelope of what’s possible and enable companies to quickly and effectively build low-power wearables in various form factors.

To help hurry the development process with these new Curie-based wearables, Intel is also providing the Intel IQ Software Kit when the chip becomes available to partners. The Curie modules are scheduled to ship out sometime in the second half of 2015. So, keep an eye out for smaller wearables in the future!