Apple acquires motion capture company IKinema, says report (Updated)

What you need to know

  • Apple has acquired motion capture company IKinemia.
  • Company filings and an insider confirmed the acquisition to MacRumors .
  • IKinemia specializes in capturing real-time motion animation used for games and virtual reality.

Updated 10/4/19: Apple confirmed the acquisition of IKinemia in a statement to the Financial Times.

"Apple buys smaller companies from time to time, and we generally don't discuss our purpose or plans," Apple said, a statement it uses to confirm acquisitions.

Apple has reportedly acquired motion capture company IKinema. According to MacRumors, company filings and information shared from a reader provides evidence to suggest Apple scooped up the company.

In a document filed with the UK government, Apple lawyer Peter Denwood—who is in charge of Apple's international dealings—is named director of IKinema and lists the company's service address as One Apple Park Way.

IKenima is a motion capture company based out of the UK that captures animation technology that's used for games, virtual reality and more. It also developed technology that captures real-time motion animation of virtual characters.

The company has a YouTube video that's a highlight reel of some of the work it has done.

MacRumors notes that IKinemia's website and social network accounts have stopped working. Additionally, customers were not warned of a possible shutdown or sale and have been kept in the dark since early August. A person with inside information revealed the aquisition was confirmed in a Facebook Motion Capture group.

The acquisition of IKinemia could help Apple in its AR and VR projects as well as possibly even help it improve its True Depth camera technology that captures the movement of the face.

Danny Zepeda