When it comes to the major technology companies, each of them are always trying to find new ways to improve their products. Today, the company Eyefluence announced on its website they they were being acquired by Google. Over the last three years, they have developed some incredible eye tracking technology for use in both virtual reality and augmented reality applications. It’s no secret that Googles interest in the realm of VR has been extensive, especially with its made by Google VR Pixel devices and Daydream VR headset.
Eyefluence was founded in 2013 and since its creation has raised over $21.6 million. The creators of the company, Jim Marggraff and David Stiehr, are both entrepreneurs who had previously founded technology companies like LiveScribe and Heartstream. Eyefluence uses human biology and allows consumers wearing head mounted displays control and communicate with the display using eye interaction. In other words, this particular technology will allow you to interact and navigate with VR and AR in ways we have never really seen before. According to their website, they’re hoping that their AR technology can have doctors look up patient information with their eyes while their hands are performing life saving surgery. With their VR technology, they are hoping that the consumer will navigate and experience immersive digital worlds and change the way we work, play, communicate and think.
This acquisition is important to Google, as it shows where their next generation VR and AR technology might be headed. Because Eyefluence just announced this acquisition, its really hard to say for sure how Google intends to use their eye interaction technology and incorporate it with its own products. Google does have a pretty good track record when it comes to purchases and acquisitions and incorporating their technology in some way including hardware company Nest and AI company DeepMind Technologies. However, this could give Google just the edge it needs in order pull ahead of the VR competition by incorporating it into Google Daydream VR headset, Google Pixel and Google Glass products. Eyefluence is calling their eye interaction technology the “missing ingredient to VR” which could be what Google needs to bring VR to the masses.