Skip to main content

Android co-founder thinks augmented reality is the future of gaming, invests $15M in castAR

We haven’t heard from Andy Rubin in a while. After leading the Android team at Google for close to 10 years, he handed the reins over to Sundar Pichai in 2013 to “start a new chapter” within the company. As it happens, that chapter was never finished, as he left Google about a year later to start his own hardware incubator called Playground Global to invest in startups.

One such startup is a company called castAR, which specializes in augmented reality glasses for gaming. Playground Global will fund the company to the tune of $15 million in order to “drive forward business and continue product development efforts” leading up to a planned 2016 commercial launch.

Recommended Videos

Augmented Reality (AR) glasses shouldn’t be confused with Virtual Reality (VR) glasses or headsets. AR transposes 3D-like objects on top the real world, whereas VR is limited entirely to the virtual world. In other words, AR is basically a virtual layer on top of the real world, which makes the perfect environment for gaming.

The castAR sports two micro projectors that cast stereoscopic images onto a retro reflective surface, and a tracking camera that measures the position and orientation of the head. Users will control input with a motion-tracking wand similar to a Wiimote. The company will also offer a RFID tracking grid, which fits underneath the retro reflective surface to track and identify objects.

castAR has already demoed a number of implementations, including a first person shooter and a board game. Playing a game of chess could be as easy as putting on a pair of castAR glasses and looking at a table. The board will magically appear and you could then play against someone else in another part of the world. Here’s a quick video showing you some of the possibilities:

castAR - Share your 3D world as it springs to life

The company was founded by Valve Software employees Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnsonborn. After Valve decided to drop the project, the duo formed Technical Illusions in March 2013. The company launched a KickStarer campaign in November 2013 for the castAR glasses and reached its $400,000 goal within 48 hours, eventually raising over $1 million. The company is now based in Silicon Valley, and is now known as castAR.

Some Kickstarter backers have already received prototypes, with more on the way. The company will be announcing a developer kit in the near future, and a commercial launch is expected in 2016.

If you’re not a Kickstarter backer, you can still pre-order the castAR from the company’s website. The castAR itself goes for $400, while the wand controller is $65 and the RFID tracking grid is $85.

Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
Steams says it wasn’t hacked and your account is safe
A Steam Deck sits in a dock, as Ender Magnolia plays on its screen.

Yesterday, news broke that more than 89 million Steam accounts had been put up for sale on the dark web, prompting users to rush to change their passwords. Steam says that's false and that you don't need to worry about your account. Although there was a leak, it wasn't one that would compromise the security of your PC game library.

Steam says that although a leak did take place, it was not a breach of the Steam systems. "We’re still digging into the source of the leak, which is compounded by the fact that any SMS messages are unencrypted in transit, and routed through multiple providers on the way to your phone," the announcement reads.

Read more
Roblox creators can now sell physical merch in-game
A laptop with a Roblox wallpaper.

Purchasing in-game items is nothing new to Roblox, but now users can shop for actual physical merch and receive an avatar item on top of it. Eligible creators can bundle digital items with physical purchases, according to Roblox's announcement, and it opens up more avenues for creators to generate revenue in-game.

"Our vision for the future of shopping is an experience that’s more exciting and social than the traditional online shopping experience. On Roblox, you can explore virtual stores, try on clothes, and share the experience with others," the post reads. "This naturally builds interest and purchase intent. Now we’re taking it one step further, bridging the gap between virtual and real-world shopping by enabling Roblox users to purchase physical items."

Read more
All Elder Scrolls games in order, by release date and chronologically
A mage looking over morrowind in Elder scrolls online.

There are few fantasy worlds as fleshed out and deep as the Elder Scrolls' Tamriel. We were first introduced to the series in the early '90s, and now eagerly await Elder Scrolls 6 to show us a new chapter of this tale. Until that upcoming video game makes its way to our PCs and consoles, we love to revisit these games to see how they have evolved and reimmerse ourselves in the lore. Similar to the GTA games, you'd be missing out on over half the games if you think there are only 5 Elder Scrolls games out right now. Surprisingly enough, every single game is considered canon and contributes to the ongoing story of the world. While you could always jump into whatever game looks most interesting, we think playing either in release order or chronologically is a better approach. This is the official order for the entire Elder Scrolls series in release and chronological order.

All Elder Scrolls games in release order

Read more