Between 2018 and 2019, Apple quietly acquired an Israeli computer vision company – and has already adapted its developments into current products.
Apple AR technology and related developments have picked up the pace since the release of ARKit in 2017. And per a new report, some of those developments may have been the result of secret acquisitions rather than internal research.
According to Israeli newspapers Calcalist, Apple’s acquisition of Israeli-based startup Camerai has already supported the company’s work in AR and computer vision. Calcalist reports that the startup technology has already “become an important part of every Apple camera.”
No purchase price for the purchase has been confirmed, although a source earlier at Camerai said the deal was worth tens of millions of dollars. At the time of purchase, the launch employed 13 people in Tel Aviv, a majority of whom were members of Apple’s team in Herzliya.
Although it has been working in stealth mode since its inception in 2014 and raised very little capital, Camerai’s platforms allowed apps and developers to easily create AR and image processing graphics without much technical knowledge. Around 2018, when the tech industry was worried about the possibilities of AR, several other companies approached Camerai about the possibility of a purchase – including Samsung and Alibaba.
Since customizing in Apple’s cameras, Calcalist reports that Camerai’s technology makes it easier for developers to add AR capabilities to their apps – suggesting that the development is related to ARKit as a function for computing photography.
More specifically, the company’s AR technology included the ability to detect and sketch objects within an image so that they could be cosmetically adjusted, TechCrunch report. The company had created an SDK that allowed developers to use AR tools to edit images in more sophisticated ways, the publication added.
While it is not clear what specific feature Camerai’s technology has contributed, Apple has introduced many AR and camera-related enhancements since 2018. That includes the Portrait Mode on the iPhone SE which only requires on learning machines.
In addition to developments on AR- and tablet-based AR, Apple is also reportedly working on wearables that integrate virtualized and mixed reality environments – including a rumored headset-like device that could be called “Apple Glass”.
According to Calcalist, Apple’s operates a development center in Israel that was based on the establishment of local acquisitions. In recent years, that center has been seen as an ‘intensive recruiting spree’, and is estimated to employ more than 1,500 people.
.
