Intel today announced it’s new ultra small Quark system-on-a-chip processors, here at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

The new chips are what the company is aiming to be used in devices that are designed for the internet of things, a concept whereby all manner of technology is connected, and capable of supplying data.

Quark chips, according to Intel, are one fifth the size of its current low-power champion, the Atom processor, and use only a tenth of the power. The ramifications are enormous, as it means we’ll have devices that are still as capable, in terms of computing power, but deployed in the kind of devices where power efficiency is paramount.

One example would be wearable smart devices. While Intel had devices on hand to demonstrate what it means – a smart watch; the current flavour of the moment – it also cited an example like using Quark in something like a car’s headlight. This supposed smart headlight would then be able to direct and optimise lighting, in real time, in adverse conditions.

More on the new chip soon, as we chat to Intel bods for what kind of tech we can expect to use Quark.

Image credit: The Verge