The iPhone giant has announced that it has now purchased the German AR software maker.
Apple has now announced by way of a corporate filing, that it has acquired a German company that specializes in augmented reality imagery and software, called Metaio. This could place a great deal of weight behind the use of AR technology, which has seen a bumpy road along its path to adoption.
So far, there have been only very specific uses of AR tech that have made it onto the market.
By the time that this article was written, the terms of the purchase had not yet been disclosed. The augmented reality company has been in the spotlight for many investors for some time now, but this purchase by Apple has changed the entire nature of the company’s existence. Previously, Metaio had welcomed investors such as Westcott LLC, which is the investing side of entrepreneur Carl Wescott (the 1-800-Flowers floral delivery company founder), as well as Atlantic Bridge, a growth equity tech fund based in Silicon Valley.
According to the document that was filed with a Munich court, the augmented reality company’s sole shareholder is now Apple.
The AR technology software from Metaio is typically implemented in automotive, industrial, and retail markets. It gives sellers the opportunity to create virtual user manuals or even showrooms for their products. This makes it easier for consumers to be able to imagine a product in a real situation, or to be able to visualize the instructions for complex equipment maintenance or repair purposes.
This can be helpful because it is accessible through mobile devices that are commonly owned and carried – such as smartphones and tablets – and it creates an overlay of graphics and/or text on top of images and objects that are there within the real-life environment. This is not the same tech as virtual reality, which creates an entirely simulated environment.
According to Juniper Research analyst, Steffen Sorrell, Apple would be able to work Metaio into its custom computer chip line of products. In this way, the tech market research firm analyst said thatApple would be able to use the augmented reality intellectual property to create a genuine differentiation for its products in an increasingly competitive mobile device marketplace.
The AR firm has revealed that its dedicated processors will be incorporated into the gadgets by the close of 2013.
German augmented reality firm, Metaio, has just announced that it is anticipating the installation of its dedicated chips into mobile devices before this year comes to its end, even though its one large announced customer, ST-Ericsson, collapsed.
At the same time, the company also revealed that it will be opening a new research and development lab.
That new R&D lab will be located in Dallas, Texas. The deal with ST-Ericson for augmented reality chip installation was announced in February at a large industry event. It included the AR technology designs from Metaio into the processors of the device. Its benefit was explained to be that it would reduce the amount of power that would be required in order to perform the AR specific functions
This would allow augmented reality functions to be processed without rapidly draining the device battery.
The augmented reality technology would allow device users to be able to use their smartphones and tablets for AR functions without having the power run out too quickly. The deal was assumed to have been over a month afterward, however, when STMicroelectronics and Ericsson revealed that their chipset joint venture was over. This also cancelled the NovaThor chipsets from ST-Ericsson, which had been announced at the same industry event in February.
That said, Metaio continued, at that time, in its talks with both Ericsson and with STMicro about using its augmented reality technology. Metaio spokesperson Anett Gläsel-Maslov explained that those talks – as well as others with undisclosed organizations – are ongoing. However, she added that the company is almost certain that it will have its “AR Engine in devices by the end of the year.”
In order to further develop its augmented reality engine designs, the new R&D facility is being opened up in Dallas. The company already has a location in San Francisco, so this move is clearly not being strategically made in order to take steps closer to possible customers. Instead, according to Gläsel-Maslov, the choice was made as the firm is hopeful that it will be able to take advantage of the engineers who are seeking new opportunities as Texas Instruments reduces its business in OMAP mobile processors.
The AR technology software from Metaio is typically implemented in automotive, industrial, and retail markets. It gives sellers the opportunity to create virtual user manuals or even showrooms for their products. This makes it easier for consumers to be able to imagine a product in a real situation, or to be able to visualize the instructions for complex equipment maintenance or repair purposes.