Apple May Have Acquired Real-Time Motion Capture Firm Faceshift

It appears that Apple may have acquired real-time motion capture company Faceshift, reports MacRumors. The firm specializes in technology to quickly capture facial expressions using 3D sensors.

Faceshift says that its software "analyzes the face motions of an actor, and describes them as a mixture of basic expressions, plus head orientation and gaze. This description is then used to animate virtual characters for use in movie or game production."

There are hints that it's Apple who acquired Faceshift:

Faceshift has clearly been acquired by another company in recent weeks, as noted in a Swiss company registry filing from August 19 showing the three original corporate directors having stepped down as of August 14 and being replaced by Baker & McKenzie mergers and acquisitions attorney Martin Frey. Frey does not appear to have any direct links with Apple, but Apple has frequently used Baker & McKenzie's services in a number of countries around the world, including management of some of Apple's Swiss trademarks.

MacRumors also contacted several people who would know about the acquisition. None would confirm it was Apple that bought the company but no one denied it either.

Notably, during a demonstration of the technology in May, Faceshift used a Carmine 3D sensor from PrimeSense, a company that Apple acquired back in 2013. Three months later, it's website that was advertising an upcoming consumer effort and a partnership for integration with Intel's RealSense 3D camera systems, is for the most part shut down.


In another sign of an acquisition, former San Francisco office head Doug Griffin and Bay Area employee Steve Macdonald have changed their occupation to "Considering New Opportunities" and "Currently Looking For New Opportunities" on LinkedIn.

You can check out some videos demoing Faceshift's technology below. We'll let you know if any more details regarding the acquisition become available.

Read More