Apple Reportedly Bought PrimeSense – Creators of Original Kinect Technology
SlashGear (via Hillel Fuld) is reporting that Apple has supposedly bought PrimeSense, the company behind the motion-tracking technology found in the original Xbox 360 Kinect. A rumor of this deal first surfaced in July but was subsequently refuted by PrimeSense.
It’s now being reported that PrimseSense officials were slightly economical with the truth, negotiations between the two companies have been ongoing. The deal is said to be worth around $345m, according to the report.
Apple is reportedly interested in PrimseSense new technology – Capri, which significantly reduces the size of the sensor array while still allowing accurate motion-tracking of separate limbs and more. Although this technology can be used in iOS devices, Apple actually intends to use PrimeSense’s systems in its rumored full-fledge television, the report said.
According to PrimeSense website, “Capri (PS1200) – our next-generation depth acquisition SoC, has improved algorithms including multi-modal 3D sensing techniques, that enable superior performance resolutions, smaller form factor, and cost reduction.”
If this turn on to be true, Apple could integrate this technology into their multi-level presence sensing system. This would provide a revolutionary way of interacting with TV never seen before.
In 2011, Walter Isaacson wrote that Steve Jobs very much wanted to do for television sets what he had done for computers, music players, and phones: make them simple and elegant.
Isaacson’s account of what Steve Jobs said to him:
‘I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,’ he told me. ‘It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud.’ No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. ‘It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.’
Update: In a statement to Reuters, a spokeswoman for PrimeSense said:
“We are focused on building a prosperous company while bringing 3D sensing and natural interaction to the mass market in a variety of markets such as interactive living room and mobile devices,” a spokeswoman for PrimeSense said. “We do not comment on what any of our partners, customers or potential customers are doing and we do not relate to rumors or recycled rumors.”