Apple Reportedly Acquires Faceshift To Bolster Virtual Reality

Apple has snapped up motion capture startup Faceshift, bolstering its presence in the increasingly popular virtual reality market, according to TechCrunch.

Zurich-based Faceshift touts software that analyzes human facial expressions in real time and applies them to animated avatars and other figures in the virtual reality space.

The acquisition will give Apple a leg up in the virtual reality space, said Michael Oh, chief technology officer and founder of TSP LLC, a Boston-based Apple partner. However, he said, it may be a couple of years before consumers see Apple technology that incorporates Faceshift's software.

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"We're already seeing big players in the VR space, like Google and Samsung, but Apple is probably working on something that will arrive in the market later and will be a more polished product," he said. "VR is another extension of the computing world through an alternate interface, so it makes sense that Apple would make this acquisition."

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on the reported deal by publication time.

Apple has made other acquisitions of virtual reality and facial recognition companies: In 2010, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company acquired facial recognition startup Polar Rose, and in 2013, it bought 3-D sensor company PrimeSense.

Other big vendors in the mobility space have thrown their hats into the virtual reality ring, including Samsung, which recently released the Samsung Gear VR headset for consumers, and Google, which has been working on developing a holographic headset, Google HoloLens.

Beyond the consumer space, virtual reality has also transformed enterprise applications, such as Microsoft's Windows Hello, a facial authentication tool that allows users to log in to their devices with just their facial features.

"VR is an area of technology that we have seen great strides in lately, with manufacturers focusing on the applications of VR in the gaming world in particular," said Douglas Grosfield, president and CEO of Five Nines IT Solutions, a solution provider based in Kitchener, Ontario.

"Microsoft is working on ways to incorporate VR into the enterprise space, and with this acquisition, Apple looks to be continuing their investment in technologies that play well in both the entertainment world and in the enterprise," he said. "Security and facial recognition are interesting areas where this acquisition fills some gaps, and enhances Apple's position in this arena."

In addition to creating avatars for video games, Faceshift's technology is used for video calls.

PUBLISHED NOV. 25, 2015