Intel Corp. is pushing beyond creating microchips and is moving forward with their recent acquisition, Voke. Intel seems to have an interest in virtual reality experiences which is what Voke specializes in.
VR tech is often focused on animation and gaming but Voke seems to have thought of another use for it. They had successfully developed a system that uses a pair of cameras to capture live images and translate it to a 3-D display, the software is called TrueVR. Voke has been founded in 2004 in Santa Clara, California.
Their tech has already been used for viewing several sports events like the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, NCAA Men's Basketball, and an even non-sports related event like the New York Fashion Week. Voke aims to change people's experiences in viewing events and shows.
Intel, on the other hand, has recently been interested in sports. According to the Wall Street Journal, this has been from feeling the effects of a shrinking demand for their microchips as the PC market is getting smaller. The company also failed to capitalize on the growing demand for chips in the smartphone category.
As of March this year, Intel has also acquired Replay Technologies which is an Israeli company that focuses on 3-D video tech. They had since marketed a 3-D camera technology called RealSense.
With the recent acquisition of Voke, Intel believes that they can now cater to a large gap in the field of sports using VR technology. "They've captured the attention and the imagination of broadcasters, leagues and teams with their technology and what's possible." James Carwana who is the general manager of the new sports group said. He further mentioned that Voke and Intel can now bring fans a more personalized and fully immersive sports experience.
No financial information has been released about the recent acquisition.
