Nov.17, 2013

Apple has bought PrimeSense, the Israeli fabless semiconductor company responsible for the technology in the original Xbox 360 Kinect, for $345 million. According to local newspaper Calcalist, PrimeSense has raised $85 million from Israeli and U.S. venture capital funds such as Canaan Partners Global, Gemini Israel and Genesis Partners, but Calcalist didn't cite its sources.

"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."

Calcalist reports the notice of the transaction is expected to be published in the next two weeks. The initial negotiations between the parties began in last July when a delegation of senior engineering managers from Apple paid secret visit to Israel.

PrimeSense's sensing technology, which gives digital devices the ability to observe a scene in three dimensions, was used in the Microsoft Xbox 360's 3D-motion tracking Kinect sensor.

PrimeSense's 3D-scanning technology is currently used in more than 20 million devices around the world, and this includes sensors that can be used in both smartphones and tablets. PrimeSense's technology is also used in 3D scanners, such as Matterport's 3D scanner which is used to create full-color models of rooms.

One implementation of PrimeSense's products could be Apple's iTV project. Rumors say that Apple is expected to launch its own TV to compete with Samsung's Smart TV. The sensor system would be used to navigate a smart TV system using gestures rather than a complex remote.

Posted in 3D Scanning

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mzwandile wrote at 5/26/2014 3:58:42 PM:hi is it posible 2 build a scanner dat can scann 4 1to2 meters are way .plz reply at mz.nstheyiya@gmail.comAmyInNH wrote at 11/22/2013 6:38:24 PM:Total bummer. Here comes proprietary constricted.Adam wrote at 11/19/2013 10:38:41 PM:TK... the structure sensor is just a primsense.. so they are buying the structure people pretty much.TK wrote at 11/17/2013 11:24:33 PM:MS: "Hi, I'm a kinect.", ATV: "Hi I wanna be a console when I grow up", MS: "I can sense your environment and gestures", ATV: "I can make you dance, giggle and buy stuff...?" I dont see how prime sense would help apple tv, however they should buy the structure sensor people - augmented reality and readily importing 3D models into tablets and such will be the next big market...who? wrote at 11/17/2013 9:38:36 PM:always less than snapchat



