Unnamed sources have told the Financial Times that Apple has created a large team of experts to develop virtual and augmented reality devices. This team consists of employees poached from other companies as well as staff from recent acquisitions. This team has been working on prototypes for the past several months, sources say.
As the report points out, Apple is no stranger to VR technology development. The company experimented with headsets back in the mid-2000s but considered the technology “too immature” at the time. Apple is said to have become interested in VR again once the Oculus Rift surfaced, which has proven that the industry is finally ready for public consumption.
Reports say that Apple began to beef up its arsenal with the acquisition of PrimeSense in 2013, followed by Metaio and Faceshift. The company’s latest acquisition is Flyby Media, an augmented-reality startup that worked with Google on Project Tango. Sources say that Apple is still looking for more acquisitions in optical technologies to prefect its VR and AR designs.
Apple recently hired a top virtual reality researcher, former Virginia Tech computer science professor Doug Bowman. So far there’s no indication of what Bowman will be doing at Apple, although his background points to possible VR projects. Apple also hired several former Lytro employees who worked on a consumer-oriented camera that used light field optics.
During a recent quarterly earnings conference call from Apple, current CEO Tim Cook answered a question regarding the company’s interest in virtual reality. “In terms of VR, I dont think its a niche. Its really cool and has some interesting applications,” he said. That’s not a confirmation about developing VR hardware, but it’s not a denial either.
Apple posted a series of job advertisements last year seeking software engineers who would create apps for virtual reality systems “for prototyping and user testing.” VR patents submitted by Apple also surfaced, such as a head-mounted display that is compatible with the iPhone and likely meant for virtual (or augmented) reality.
What’s unknown at this point is who Apple plans to take on in the VR and AR space. Will Apple’s VR/AR solution compete with Samsung’s Gear VR or Google Cardboard, or go after the heavy-hitters like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift? There’s also speculation that Apple may not release hardware at all, although given recent reports and the growing VR/AR industry, that seems unlikely.
From maximumpc
