Apple is taking a leap into the augmented and virtual reality space with a report from TechCrunch that Apple has acquired Metaio, an augmented reality startup that launched in 2003 as an offshoot to a project at Volkswagen.
According to a legal document that surfaced today, it shows the transfer of shares of the startup to Apple on May 21st and May 22nd.
Metaio began showing early signs that something was in the works when it canceled its user conference in San Francisco earlier this month and later took down the company’s Twitter account. According to Metaio’s site, it has stopped taking new customers and has ended the purchase of products and subscriptions.
Metaio is a significant player within the augmented reality space and often shows off their technology with Apple products, like the iPad, during demonstrations.
What can we expect from an Apple and Metaio marriage?
We could be a step closer to the holodeck with an iPad and Metaio’s simultaneous localization and mapping experience:
Or with the Apple Watch being the topic of discussion lately, how about Metaio’s augmented reality for smart watches that have object recognition:
Or maybe just throw out the iPad and Apple Watch entirely, hook up the latest Apple VR headset that was recently patented and use thermal touch as your augmented reality interface:
The latest acquisition of Metaio will indeed bolster Apple’s position in the augmented and virtual reality space and we look forward to what the talent partnership will bring in the near future.
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