Share

Facebook acquires Eye Tribe for Oculus eye-tracking software

San Francisco - Facebook's Oculus has acquired The Eye Tribe, a company that tracks eye movement in virtual reality to improve the experience.

Oculus confirmed the acquisition of the Copenhagen-based startup, without stating a price.

The acquisition was reported earlier Wednesday by TechCrunch.

Eye Tribe is the latest in a series of tech acquisitions this year for Oculus.

Facebook is especially interested in eye tracking because the company wants to take the lead in social interactions in VR.

The ability to follow eye movement makes it easier to understand people’s expressions and let them communicate effectively with each other in a virtual world. 

For example, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is interested in helping people watch basketball games together, have board meetings, travel to foreign countries and take selfies in virtual reality.

Facebook isn’t alone in focusing on the importance of eye tracking to VR.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google acquired Eyefluence, another startup working on eye-tracking technology, in October.

The search giant is investing in virtual reality as it aims to integrate its media services, like YouTube and its app store, into the nascent technology.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders