June 25 - Tech company Fove has announced that Samsung Ventures will be investing on their new virtual reality eye-tracking device. The said device is the first of its kind.
The Fove headset is targeted for regular market consumers. The company aims to make virtual reality accessible to the market. Gamers are expected to be a large part of the device's market, allowing its users to attack opponents just by focusing their eyes on the target in games and also controls it by simply using eye movements.
The Japan-based company has earned its crowdfunding target three days after its launch was announced in May. To date, it has garnered $450,000, 180% of its original target.
Should it reach $700,000 in funding, Fove said it will look into integrating Valve's Lighthouse technology to track positions accurately. With Samsung's investment, it seems that the company may have already exceeded the goal.
"Our investment in FOVE is an evidence of our belief in its superior technology and we believe FOVE will launch a competitive VR device in the market soon," Samsung Ventures said in a public statement.
Samsung is FOVE's Korean investment arm. It has provided certain funding for many technological developments and is also a well-known provider of mobile, computer, and appliance services, and many others.
Samsung Japan has also expressed its support for Samsung Venture's new investment in FOVE. The company has begun developing the device and securing funding early this year. Announcements of the company's VR device have been circulating since last year. May this year, FOVE launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the device, which is also set to have a prototype this year. It has also raised $400,000 and $500,000 for two other products that are still being developed.
Though figures have been crowdfunded, Samsung's investments on this are still undisclosed - trying to source out various improvements for the device.
The Fove eye-tracking VR headset, has been cited by a tech website as 'Next Best' in CES. Fove said the first versions of the product will be sent to developers in the spring of 2016.
To see how Fove's VR eye visor works, watch this video.
