“On May 28th 2015, Apple acquired Metaio, an augmented reality startup that launched as an offshoot of a project at Volkswagen,” Ophir Gottlieb writes for Capital Market Laboratories. “When asked what Apple was doing, the company gave the standard answer: ‘Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.'”
“Then, in November we got news that Apple acquired Faceshift; the company that created motion capture technology used in the latest Star Wars film,” Gottlieb writes. “This company’s technology creates animated avatars and other figures that capture a person’s facial expressions in real time.”
“But, the news we just learned tops all of the small acquisitions and rumors. Apple has hired Doug Bowman, Ph.D. – a professor at Virginia Tech considered to be one of the world’s top virtual reality researchers,” Gottlieb writes. “VR has been called the technology whose consumer base looks increasingly like of all of humanity… Goldman Sachs estimates the virtual reality segment will be an $80 billion market within a decade and that doesn’t include the ‘augmented reality’ segment… While Wall Street would have you dig a grave for Apple, just one layer beneath the headlines and we’ll see the real secret: The company has increased its expenditures in research and development by 90% in the last two-years.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The next big thing or the next big fad?
If Apple does enter the market, perhaps it’s the former.
SEE ALSO:
Apple hires leading virtual reality researcher – January 22, 2016
Apple is building a virtual reality supply chain with disruptive potential, new research shows – November 19, 2015
Analyst: Apple team exploring virtual reality/augmented reality – August 31, 2015
Apple exploring a new reality with purchase of Metaio – June 3, 2015
Apple patents perforated augmented reality display that you can see and hear through – May 29, 2015
Apple acquires augmented reality company Metaio – May 28, 2015
New Apple haptics patent application reveals diamond-layered trackpad that simulates wood, other textures – April 23, 2015
Apple granted U.S. patent for hybrid VR head-mounted display – February 18, 2015
Apple is working on VR user interfaces and gaming; looking for Oculus and Leap experts – February 10, 2015
Apple granted patent for display-based speakers for iOS devices – January 13, 2015
Apple granted a patent for devices with a transparent display – November 18, 2014
Apple’s new iPhones, iPads could feature haptic displays – June 30, 2014
Apple patent application reveals personal display headset invention – May 8, 2014
Apple patent application reveals wildly intelligent multi-tiered haptics system – May 3, 2012
Apple continues to tweak Apple TV video headset accessory – April 10, 2014
Apple patent application reveals sapphire flexible transparent display devices created with Liquidmetal – December 19, 2013
Apple granted knockout patent for head-mounted personal display – December 10, 2013
iGlasses: Apple granted patent for head-mounted augmented reality displays – July 5, 2012
Apple files patent application for haptic feedback touch-based user interface – March 22, 2012
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “eldernorm” for the heads up.]