Getting In The Game: Apple Reportedly Hires Virtual Reality Guru

Apple reportedly has hired esteemed virtual reality and augmented reality researcher Doug Bowman, according to a report Friday from The Financial Times.

The reported hire could be another stepping stone for Apple to go head-to-head with competitors Microsoft and Samsung in the lucrative virtual reality market.

"Apple is an iPhone company but they're also a platform," said Jack Narcotta, devices analyst at Hampton, N.H.-based Technology Business Research. "This move doesn't put Apple in front of the others, like Facebook and Microsoft, but it does get them in the game."

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Bowman most recently was a computer science professor at Virginia Tech where he served as director of the university's human-computer interaction center before taking a sabbatical, according to Virginia Tech's website. Bowman was also the lead author of "3-D User Interfaces: Theory And Practice," as well as the author of several articles relating to virtual and augmented reality.

Apple, Cupertino, Calif., did not reply to a request for comment before press time.

Stephen Monteros, vice president of business development and strategic initiatives at Sigmanet, an Ontario, Calif.-based Apple partner, said this could be an opportunity for Apple to boost its level of user experience.

"That is a good hire from a very practical standpoint," he said. "You are seeing more development around wearable and sensors, which VR plays into. Practical applications will develop around these technologies. Apple has always been about the user experience... The user experience will drive adoption."

Several vendors are already investing in the virtual and augmented reality markets, and some even have products available.

Microsoft last year unveiled its HoloLens headset, which will use Windows 10 as a platform to support holographic computing, and the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is set to be released in March.

However, Narcotta stressed that Apple's presence in the virtual reality and augmented reality markets could be tied to more than the consumer market -- there could be applications for the automotive or design industries.

"This move shows that, first of all, [virtual reality] technology has been validated, and there are major players in industry," he said. "But it also paves the way for how software will morph into virtual reality applications like automotive displays, research roles or product designs, where you need to interact or collaborate."

In recent years, Apple has made investments in virtual reality through a handful of acquisitions. Most recently in the beginning of January, Apple acquired Emotient, a San Diego startup that makes artificial intelligence technology for analyzing facial expression to detect emotions.

The company also acquired motion capture startup FaceShift in November, and augmented reality application startup Metaio last May.