Apple has hired Doug Bowman, one of the top US researches in virtual reality, reports the Financial Times. Mr. Bowman recently joined the Cupertino firm after taking a brief sabbatical from his position as computer science professor at Virginia Tech. He also served as the director of the university’s human-computer interaction centre.
According to the Financial Times, Bowman was a computer science professor at Virginia Tech but recently took a sabbatical and now works at Apple. During his five-year tenure at Virginia Tech, Bowman was a director of the school’s Center for Human-Computer Interaction and concentrated on “three-dimensional user interface design and the benefits of immersion in virtual environments.”
Bowman has won several IEEE awards for three dimensional user interfaces and technical achievements in VR, as well being a User Experience Consultant for Disney Imagineering. He is also the author of ‘3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice.’ With all of this experience on Bowman’s resume, it isn’t a surprise to see that Apple ended up hiring him.
The recent hire and three augmented reality/virtual reality acquisitions from Apple all suggest that the Cupertino California-based company is looking to do something major and significant in the VR field. Apple previously acquired expression analysis startup Emotient a few weeks ago, real-time motion capture firm Faceshift in November of last year, and augmented reality company Metaio in May of last year.
In fact, the Financial Times says that Apple’s interest in virtual reality has picked up serious steam within the last 6 months, and industry watchers speculate that it’s building everything from Oculus Rift-style headsets, to highly advanced in-car dash systems for its rumored electric car project. But no one really knows what it’s working on.
[Source]
Bowman has won several IEEE awards for three dimensional user interfaces and technical achievements in VR, as well being a User Experience Consultant for Disney Imagineering. He is also the author of ‘3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice.’ With all of this experience on Bowman’s resume, it isn’t a surprise to see that Apple ended up hiring him.
The recent hire and three augmented reality/virtual reality acquisitions from Apple all suggest that the Cupertino California-based company is looking to do something major and significant in the VR field. Apple previously acquired expression analysis startup Emotient a few weeks ago, real-time motion capture firm Faceshift in November of last year, and augmented reality company Metaio in May of last year.
In fact, the Financial Times says that Apple’s interest in virtual reality has picked up serious steam within the last 6 months, and industry watchers speculate that it’s building everything from Oculus Rift-style headsets, to highly advanced in-car dash systems for its rumored electric car project. But no one really knows what it’s working on.
[Source]
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