According to reports from the Financial Times, Apple is extending its hiring hand into the virtual reality field with the recent recruitment of virtual reality expert Doug Bowman.
Before Doug Bowman joined forces with Cupertino giant Apple, he was a professor at Virginia Tech, where he tutored students in computer science. He was also the director for Human Computer Interaction at the university’s center. Doug Bowman has a very strong background in 3D interaction, usability engineering, and immersive environments; all these serve as Doug’s major area of focus. As stated in his academic profile, he focused on”topics of three-dimensional user interface design and the benefits of immersion in virtual environments.”Doug Bowman, alongside his colleague
Joseph Gabbard, were among the recipients of a $100,000 grant and two HoloLens Development Edition devices aimed towards research fort he uses of Microsoft’s reality headset. His research was referred to as a “Collaborative Analysis of Large-scale Mixed Reality Data.”He was a member of the team in charge of designing and researching the Virginia Tech Cube, which was utilized as a research vehicle.
According to the Financial Times, Doug Bowman worked at Disney’s Imagineering as a user experience consultant. His works were mostly focused on the company’s theme park rides.
In May, Apple took over ownership of Metaio (the AR software firm) and with the recent hiring of Doug Bowman, Apple has shown the world that it’s keen interest in virtual reality is more than just a passing phase.Apple also took ownership of the various teams behind Emotient and Faceshift, both of which focus on alternative interfaces and experience.
Apple is definitely not planning to slack off when it comes to virtual reality, and the company is not looking to settle for less, as virtual reality is proving to be the next big thing in computing. For a high-tech company like Apple, it will be a disappointment to let other companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Sony take the spotlight.
The anticipation of Apple’s virtual reality plans goes father than the question of whether this whole idea holds any true potential. It’s more about how these virtual reality programs will pan out later on, and, of course, what name will be given to it. A name like “Apple VR” would be extremely cliché.
It’s hard to predict what Apple plans to do with virtual reality and Doug Bowman. We can only assume certain things. Doug Bowman has expertise and experience in creating “Minority Report” style; he could implement that same system and technique in AR controlled car systems early on. Perhaps Apple could be creating their own version of Samsung’s Gear VR headset but keeping only iPhone users in mind.
Apple has yet to make a comment about the recent hiring and its plans for VR. However,back in 2015, the company made a number of job listings that clearly indicated their interest in building talents in the VR realm.
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