Apple could open the API to developers and let them integrate Faceshift features directly into iOS games. For example, Apple could integrate the technology into FaceTime and let users stream their facial expressions and voices to virtual avatars. How does Faceshift complement these moves? Buying Faceshift is an interesting move that could have interesting applications in the AR and VR markets. In November, the company promoted Apple Music with a 360-degree U2 music video that can be viewed through Facebook 's ( NASDAQ:FB) Oculus headsets. That same month, Piper Jaffray claimed that Apple had assembled a special R&D team for AR hardware.

Metaio also holds dozens of VR-related patents. Metaio's technology powers AR apps like Audi's digital owners manual, which identifies car parts with a camera, and IKEA's virtual catalog, which digitally places furniture into a user's living room. This March, Apple acquired AR start-up Metaio. Other patents suggest that Apple wants to put an AR overlay over Apple Maps to digitally measure distances and mark locations. It then filed numerous VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) patents, including one for an iPhone-powered VR headset and another for a pair of smartglasses similar to Alphabet 's ( NASDAQ:GOOG) ( NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Glass. Apple didn't discuss its reasons for buying Faceshift, but the acquisition strongly suggests that the company is beefing up for an expansion into the augmented and virtual reality markets.Īnalyzing Apple's AR and VR trail Two years ago, Apple acquired PrimeSense, which designed the motion sensors for Microsoft 's ( NASDAQ:MSFT) first Xbox Kinect. The terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but most of Faceshift's Swiss employees are now working for Apple. The company's technology was used in the latest Star Wars film, and can be live-streamed into the Unity game engine for VR environments. Follow him on Twitter for more updates!įollow ( NASDAQ:AAPL) recently acquired Faceshift, a Zurich-based developer of motion-capture software that lets 3D-animated characters mimic an actor's facial expressions. His wheelhouse includes cloud, IoT, analytics, telecom, and gaming related businesses. Leo is a tech and consumer goods specialist who has covered the crossroads of Wall Street and Silicon Valley since 2012.

Faceshift 2015