Earlier this year, at CES 2017, Intel showcased Project Alloy, an initiative to bring augment reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) applications and hardware to the mainstream. It also mentioned its Project Alloy headset, which first made an appearance in August 2016, saying that the technology behind it would be licensed to other manufacturers later this year.
However, it now appears that Intel is winding down on its ambitious Project Alloy plans, less than a year after its initial announcement.
In a statement to Road to VR, Intel explained that a major reason for this decision was the lack of partner interest in its upcoming headset. However, the company clarified that the scrapping of Project Alloy doesn"t imply the end of its efforts in the fields of AR, MR, and VR, but that it will be investing its resources in other relevant projects. The full statement reads as follows:
Intel has made the decision to wind down its Project Alloy reference design, however we will continue to invest in the development of technologies to power next-generation AR/VR experiences. This includes: Movidius for visual processing, Intel® RealSense™ depth sensing and six degrees of freedom (6DoF) solutions, and other enabling technologies including Intel® WiGig, Thunderbolt™, and Intel® Optane™. All of these Intel technology solutions are supported by a robust portfolio of software capabilities, and we’re building out a VR support ecosystem, from software design kits to reference designs, to spur innovation that’s enabling rich and immersive content. Project Alloy served as a great proof of concept for Intel and the industry – showing what’s possible in a high-performance, immersive and untethered VR experience. What we’ve learned through Project Alloy will inform future efforts.
It is important to note that Project Alloy was essentially built as an "open reference design" for interested firms to improve upon, but with most potential partners including Microsoft, Acer, Lenovo, Dell, and HP coming with up with their own AR, MR, and VR solutions, partner interest may have diminished. That said, Intel has stated that it will utilize the information obtained through its ill-fated Project Alloy in other related endeavors and AR/VR experiences.
Source: Road to VR