Intel is now looking to enter the wearable world with yesterday’s purchase of Recon Instruments, creators of augmented reality snowsport goggles.
Recon is best known for helping create the Oakley Airwave, a pair of skiing goggles with a built-in GPS and heads-up display.
Intel’s acquisition of the Vancouver based company was foreshadowed in 2013 when Intel made significant investments into Recon. The estimated sum paid to acquire Recon is $175 million according to TechVibes.
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The two companies have all the know-how and resources available to create their own Google Glass competitor. Google Glass is the only augmented reality device that has made any noise in consumer circles, but had a short production runtime before Google went back to the drawing board to make improvements.
It will be interesting to see if Intel continues Recon’s path of creating wearable computing devices for athletes or if they use those resources to create a consumer product that appeals to the masses.
Whether it is Intel Glass or Oakley Airwave 2 there will certainly be more sports tech news to come from this new partnership between between Intel and Recon.