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A cursory glance around the tech blogosphere should make one point incredibly clear: virtual reality and wearable computing are showing up everywhere. Recent reports have Microsoft joining in on the hype with its own rumored VR headset for Xbox One, but TechCrunch has evidence the company is setting its sights even higher.
Ralph Osterhout, the founder of Osterhout Design Group, has confirmed Microsoft acquired some wearable computing tech from ODG in a recent deal. Another unnamed source claims the transaction was valued somewhere between $100 million and $150 million.
Facebook recently announced its acquisition of Oculus VR--the creators of the PC-based Rift headset--for $2 billion. Sony has also announced its prototype virtual reality headset, Project Morpheus.
The ODG patents were transferred over to Microsoft in January of this year, with over 81 documents covering various forms of wearable computing. Generally, most of the designs are focused on "see-through" optical displays; an obvious source for augmented reality applications.
Microsoft has not yet responded for comment on the matter.
