--- description: Apple has hired top virtual reality researcher Doug Bowman from Virginia Tech, according to a new report. title: Another Clue Apple Is Experimenting With Virtual Reality image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcae693be781074f5/698879ec3c16391a8a45ba2e/biztech-illos-virtual-reality2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Companies](/tag/companies/) ## Companies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Another Clue Apple Is Experimenting With Virtual Reality  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 7:59 PM CUTPublished: Jan 22, 2016 3:57 PM CUT  Martin Gee for TIME  by [Lisa Eadicicco](/author/lisa-eadicicco/)  ## Lisa Eadicicco Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 7:59 PM CUTPublished: Jan 22, 2016 3:57 PM CUT Apple has added another notable name in the virtual reality industry to its team. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company recently hired VR expert [Doug Bowman from Virginia Tech](https://research.cs.vt.edu/3di/user/123 "undefined"), [_The Financial Times_](http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/9358ba1e-c07f-11e5-846f-79b0e3d20eaf,Authorised=false.html?ftcamp=published%5Flinks%2Frss%2Fcompanies%5Ftechnology%2Ffeed%2F%2Fproduct&%5Fi%5Flocation=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fintl%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F9358ba1e-c07f-11e5-846f-79b0e3d20eaf.html%3Fftcamp%3Dpublished%5Flinks%252Frss%252Fcompanies%5Ftechnology%252Ffeed%252F%252Fproduct&%5Fi%5Freferer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2Faa9b6d4736722e2c2407514b78b9b34a&classification=conditional%5Fstandard&iab=barrier-app#axzz3xxMgy8sI "undefined")reported_,_ whichTIME has confirmed_._ Bowman worked at the university as a computer science professor, also serving as director of the institute’s Center for Human-Computer Interaction. Bowman is an [accomplished researcher in the virtual reality space](https://www.eng.vt.edu/news/doug-bowman-lauded-his-achievements-virtual-reality "undefined"), having received the 2014 Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee technical achievement award from the Institute of of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. The hire is Apple’s latest move signaling it’s exploring possibilities around virtual reality. Apple last year [poached a key audio engineer ](http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-working-on-augmented-reality-technology-2015-8 "undefined")from Microsoft’s HoloLens team, which Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster first pointed out in a research note from August. In May of last year, [Apple acquired augmented reality startup Metaio](http://techcrunch.com/2015/05/28/apple-metaio/ "undefined"), and in November it purchased [motion-capture firm Faceshift](http://time.com/4127001/apple-buys-faceshift/ "undefined"). Industry watchers speculate that the technologies developed by both of these companies could give Apple the assets necessary to create some type of augmented or virtual reality device. Augmented reality gadgets, such as Microsoft HoloLens or Google Glass, overlay virtual images on top of the real world. Virtual reality differs from augmented reality in that it takes the viewer into a completely virtual environment. ### Meet Virtual Reality’s Most Important Pioneers  Palmer Lucky, Founder of Oculus, wearing a set of Oculus goggles at the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. on June 23, 2015. Gregg Segal for TIME  Oculus game view Oculus  Alex Kipman holds a Microsoft HoloLens at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash. on June 25, 2015. Gregg Segal for TIME  Microsoft Hololens game view Microsoft Hololens  Ken Birdwell, an engineer from Valve, demonstrates the Vive virtual reality headset at the Valve headquarters in Seattle, Wash. on June 25, 2015. Gregg Segal for TIME  Alex Schwartz from Owlchemy Labs, juggling tomatoes in their 'Job Simulator' game for the Vive. Owlchemy Labs  Clay Bavor, Vice President of Product Management at Google, wears a Google Cardboard headset at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. on June 24, 2015. Gregg Segal for TIME Apple has not confirmed any plans to delve into virtual or augmented reality. Still, its biggest rivals are making commitments to these technologies. The Facebook-owned Oculus VR will be launching its Rift headset this spring, while Google recently [announced updates](http://time.com/4180621/google-cardboard-headset-audio/ "undefined") to its affordable cardboard VR viewer. Samsung, Sony, and HTC are all selling or developing virtual reality headsets as well. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4190087/apple-virtual-reality-rumors-hires/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4190087/apple-virtual-reality-rumors-hires/"},"headline":"Another Clue Apple Is Experimenting With Virtual Reality","datePublished":"2016-01-22T15:57:36.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T19:59:05.000Z","description":"Apple's latest hire hints that it's exploring VR technology","url":"https://time.com/4190087/apple-virtual-reality-rumors-hires/","keywords":["Companies","Tech","Apple","Virtual Reality","augmented reality"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcae693be781074f5/698879ec3c16391a8a45ba2e/biztech-illos-virtual-reality2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lisa Eadicicco","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lisa-eadicicco/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcae693be781074f5/698879ec3c16391a8a45ba2e/biztech-illos-virtual-reality2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"BizTech Illos Virtual Reality","caption":"BizTech Illos Virtual Reality","creditText":"Martin Gee for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/companies/","name":"Companies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4190087/apple-virtual-reality-rumors-hires/","name":"Another Clue Apple Is Experimenting With Virtual Reality"}}]}] ```