The Arduino® UNO Q enables applications from smart homes to industrial automation and edge computing across South Africa’s evolving digital landscape.
RS South Africa, a trading brand of RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a global provider of product and service solutions, announced that it has been named Master Distributor for the Arduino® UNO Q, reinforcing its position as a leading technology partner for engineers and developers across South Africa and the broader African region.
This appointment follows RS’s recognition at the Arduino® Partner Conference in Milan, where it received two prestigious awards: the Industrial Trailblazer Award, for driving adoption of Arduino Pro products in industrial markets, and the Global Gravity Award, Arduino’s highest honour, recognising RS as its top global distributor based on sales performance and market share.
The Arduino® UNO Q represents a strategic addition to RS South Africa’s growing ecosystem of smart solutions, which includes technical enablement and engineering support for local developers. This next-generation single-board computer features a ‘dual brain’ architecture, combining a Linux Debian-capable microprocessor with a real-time microcontroller, enabling seamless integration of high-performance computing with real-time control.
Powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRB2210 processor running a full Linux environment, the UNO Q is designed to support AI-powered vision and sound applications that can respond dynamically to their environment. These capabilities make it well-suited to a wide range of use cases, from advanced smart home systems to industrial automation and edge computing applications relevant to South Africa’s evolving digital infrastructure. The board offers a complete platform for prototyping and development, combining AI and real-time control in a single solution.
It features built-in AI capabilities for vision and sound applications, alongside a dual-brain architecture integrating a Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRB2210 microprocessor with an STM32U585 microcontroller. The UNO Q is hardware-ready, supporting UNO shields and new carrier solutions, while giving developers access to Arduino’s extensive libraries and global community.
It comes pre-installed with Arduino® App Lab, enabling development across real-time OS, Linux, Python and AI workflows, and supports flexible coding through seamless integration of Arduino Sketches and Python® scripts. Developers can accelerate projects further using ready-to-use Arduino Apps and modular Bricks for plug-and-play functionality.
Richard Curtin, Senior Vice President of Product and Supplier Solutions at RS, commented: “Arduino® UNO Q is a powerful, all-in-one board in a compact and affordable form factor, delivering serious computing performance. It is not just a board, it is a launchpad for the next generation of intelligent devices that will redefine possibilities for engineers, developers, and innovators around the world. We’re incredibly proud to be named Master Distributor, which recognises the strong relationship we’ve built with Arduino® and is a testament to RS’s role as a trusted technology provider.”
Guneet Bedi, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Arduino®, added:
“RS has been instrumental in accelerating Arduino’s impact across industrial and professional markets. As we enter a new era with the launch of UNO Q, powered by Qualcomm, RS’s global reach and deep engineering expertise make them the perfect partner to scale this innovation. Together, we’re not just delivering our most advanced board yet, we are redefining how intelligence, performance, and accessibility come together at the edge.”
The Arduino® UNO Q is available from RS South Africa, providing local engineers, system integrators, and innovators with access to cutting-edge development tools backed by regional support and global expertise.
