It’s still unclear at this point as to how Apple plans to use the talent and technology it has required in the virtual reality field. TechCrunch has confirmed that Apple has snapped up Faceshift, a startup based in Zurich that has developed technology to create animated avatars and other figures that capture a person’s facial expressions in real time.
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But the technology could have applications outside the worlds of cinema and gaming – prior to Apple’s acquisition, Faceshift was also working on software for consumers, including a Skype plugin that would support real-time avatars for video chat.
Apple, a maker of expensive aluminum slabs, might not be the obvious first buyer for Faceshift, a Swiss startup that makes motion-capture tech used in Star Wars.
“Apple purchases smaller technology firms from time to time, and we usually don’t discuss our goal or strategies”. The Cupertino company did not confirm it back then and this was based on the fact that FaceShift’s employees no longer listed the company as their place of work, and the board of directors had also been replaced by a company that used to work for Apple.
The technology can be used for more than just movies – video games are another solid area where such facial capture is invaluable. MacRumors had previously uncovered strong evidence that Apple bought Faceshift back in August.
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Professors initially founded Faceshift Sofien Bouaziz, Brian Amberg and Thibaut Weise as a spinoff from your Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory.
