Intel is making a play for the sports wearables and head-mounted display (HMD) market after the company completed its acquisition of Recon Instruments.
Recon, which Intel invested in back in 2013, is the manufacturer behind smart eyewear device Recon Jet, which provides fitness-related info to wearers during exercise.
In a corporate blog post, Josh Walden, SVP and General Manager of Intel’s New Technology Group, said the acquisition “gives Intel a talented, experienced wearable computing team that will help us expand the market for head mounted display products and technologies”.
The acquisition comes as Intel continues to step up activity in the wearables space.
During CES 2015, the company unveiled a button-sized hardware module called Curie, which contains a purpose-built SoC that Intel said could help turn bags, coats and rings into connected wearable devices.
Intel is also working with sportswear brand Oakley to create smart eyewear and is developing a “luxury” Android smartwatch alongside Google and Tag Hauer.
Walden said Intel would now work with Recon’s team “to develop smart device platforms for a broader set of customers and market segments”.
Walden said: “The growth of wearable technology is creating a new playing field for innovation, and we’ve made tremendous strides in developing products and technologies to capture this next wave of computing.
“We are excited to welcome the Recon team to Intel, and we look forward to the amazing experiences we’ll invent together.”