Image credit – The Verge
Earlier this year Intel announced that they would be getting in on augmented reality (AR) technology with the “Vaunt” smart glasses. The glasses weren’t exactly ready for prime time just yet but were expected to be made available to developers who wanted to tinker with it. Unfortunately it seems that less than a year since they announced the project, Intel will be killing it off.
This is according to a report from The Information (via The Verge) who first broke the news. According to the report, as a result of the project being shut down it is expected that there will be some people who will be laid off from the team which is said to be about 200 strong. Intel has since confirmed that they are shutting the project down.
According to a statement issued by the company, “Intel is continuously working on new technologies and experiences. Not all of these develop into a product we choose to take to market. The Superlight [the codename for Vaunt] project is a great example where Intel developed truly differentiated, consumer augmented reality glasses. We are going to take a disciplined approach as we keep inventing and exploring new technologies, which will sometimes require tough choices when market dynamics don’t support further investment.”
Intel’s shutting down of the program reminds us of Google shutting down its Google Glass project. This means that in terms of smart glasses, Snap’s Spectacles is probably considered the most “successful” as far as commercially available smart glasses are concerned. There have also been rumors suggesting that Apple could also be looking to get into the smart glasses game.
Filed in . Read more about Intel and Wearable Tech.