• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Apple Is Snooping Around a VR Lab — But Why?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 3, 2016, 12:46 PM ET
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Apple is one of the few major technology companies that hasn’t said it’s jumping into virtual reality. But the company is certainly making some moves that suggest it’s thinking about the emerging technology.

Apple (AAPL) employees have been visiting the Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab quite often lately, the facility’s director Jeremy Bailsenson told The Wall Street Journal at the CIO Network Conference on Tuesday. However, he told the Journal that they don’t have anything to say when they’re there.

“They come and they don’t say a word,” he said of the Apple employees. “But there’s a data point for you.”

The comment is notable for one, important reason: Apple hadn’t visited Stanford’s lab, which is home to its studies on virtual reality and heavily attended by industry heavyweights, in the last 13 years. Apple has since visited the lab three times in the last three months, according to Bailsenson.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Virtual reality uses headsets to place people in completely virtual worlds. An offshoot, called augmented reality, places virtual elements over the real world. Many major companies are investing heavily in both technologies.

While it’s not a smoking gun, Apple’s attendance at the Stanford virtual reality lab is just the latest indication that the company is at least thinking about virtual reality. In recent months, the company has published job postings on its website looking for virtual reality and augmented reality experts.

Last year, Apple made a significant push into the virtual reality market by filing for several patents related to the technology. Those patents, which were discovered by Patently Apple, a site that tracks the iPhone maker’s patent applications, are designed to enhance virtual reality headsets.

Apple in May 2015 acquired Metaio, a company that was developing augmented reality tools before it was folded into the Apple’s operation.

For more, read: 3 Signs Apple Has Entered the Twilight Zone of Virtual Reality

Meanwhile, Apple has added some big guns to its staff. In a research note in August, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said that Apple has built a sizable team of virtual reality experts. Last year, for instance, the company poached Nick Thompson, who previously led the audio team on Microsoft’s HoloLens wearable.

Last month, the Financial Times reported that Apple had also hired Doug Bowman, Ph.D. Bowman is one of the world’s leading minds on virtual and augmented reality. He previously served as professor of computer science at Virginia Tech, according to his resume. He was also the director of the university’s Center for Human-Computer Interaction.

All of that makes Apple’s attendance after a more-than-a-decade-long absence from the Stanford VR facility even more compelling.

Apple, after all, is one of the few major companies that hasn’t committed to investing heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality. Google (GOOG) has already delivered a headset in its Google Glass that attempts to create an augmented experience in the real world. While that product is currently in development and has since been taken off store shelves, Google has indicated it will be doubling down on virtual and augmented reality in the coming years.

For more on virtual reality, watch:

Facebook (FB), meanwhile, made a major investment in 2014 by acquiring Oculus for $2 billion. That company’s virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift, is slated to finally find its way to users this year.

Even Microsoft (MSFT) is getting into the mix with its own augmented reality headset, the HoloLens.

Apple, however, is notoriously secretive about its plans and has not made any official indication that virtual or augmented reality is in its sights. However, considering most of the market is moving there and the sheer number of moves Apple has made in that direction in the last year, the writing appears to be on the wall.

It also doesn’t hurt that the worldwide virtual reality market is set to explode in the coming years. In December, research firm TrendForce estimated that the market could grow to $70 billion in annual revenue by 2020, up from $6.7 billion this year. Apple, like the others, may want to see how much of that pie it can eat.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on Bailsenson’s comments.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Photo of vegan cheese products
AITech
A Mark Cuban–backed vegan cheese company trained AI to scrutinize cardboard boxes. It’s saved $400,000
By Jake AngeloMay 1, 2026
14 hours ago
Young trade worker learning on job
SuccessHiring
Forget Big Tech: Small businesses will hire nearly 1 million grads in 2026—and some of the hottest roles are gloriously AI-proof
By Emma BurleighMay 1, 2026
16 hours ago
Andrew McAfee
SuccessCareers
MIT AI expert warns automating Gen Z entry-level jobs could backfire—and cost companies their future workforce
By Preston ForeMay 1, 2026
16 hours ago
duke
Big TechAmazon
Amazon Prime Video reaches deal with Duke Blue Devils to air 3 games per season
By The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
18 hours ago
valerie
CommentaryLayoffs
Tesla’s former HR chief: the AI layoff panic Is built on a false premise—here’s what most workers need to know
By Valerie Capers WorkmanMay 1, 2026
18 hours ago
AI
AIdisruption
Meet the Americans dismissing AI hype and using it with ingenuity: ‘The efficiencies gained out of it have been tremendous’
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
18 hours ago
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
Commentary
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
By Derek KilmerMay 1, 2026
23 hours ago
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
5 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 1, 2026
19 hours ago
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
Law
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
By Catherina GioinoMay 1, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.