Intel boosts VR focus with ‘VOKE’ acquisition

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Intel has strengthened its focus as an enabler of immersive sports solutions through its decision to acquire VOKE, a VR start-up. VOKE was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Intel is building a broad portfolio of best-in-class solutions to deliver new, immersive sports experiences for athletes, fans and content producers. Recently, Intel created a new business unit, Intel Sports, which includes the freeD technology team who joined Intel with its acquisition of Replay Technologies.

In his blog post, James Carwana, General Manager of the Intel Sports Group says, “Virtual reality (VR), or what Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has stated as “merged” reality, is an important building block for delivering a truly immersive sports experience, one that uses computing power to deliver virtual-world experiences more dynamically and naturally than ever before. Imagine being able to witness a slam dunk from the defender’s perspective or the defensive rush from the quarterback’s perspective. This kind of experience may sound futuristic, but it’s closer than you think. To accelerate our efforts, we’re proud to announce that Intel is acquiring VOKE, a leader in bringing live, virtual reality experiences to audiences.”

The VOKE TrueVR experience is enabled by VOKE’s proprietary paired lens, a stereoscopic capture system that provides a natural view of the action, allowing fans to see realistic proportions and depth wherever they look. The VR experience can accessed from any device they choose (PC, tablet, phone and VR headset). According to Intel, VOKE’s model echoes Intel’s enabling strategy for an end-to-end solution that easily integrates into existing broadcaster and league channels.