FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSSETTS — Bose announced this week that it has decided to shut down its ambitious audio augmented reality platform, Bose AR. The technology platform had been announced to much fanfare at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in 2018, including a $50 million investment fund the company had set up specifically for companies to “create apps, services and related technologies” on the platform.
The company had envisioned putting Bose AR in a number of products–including things like bike helmets, earbuds and prescription glasses, etc.
A video by Engadget (below) shows what Bose had in mind by creating the technology.
Bose Shuts Down AR Program
In announcing that the company was closing the AR program, it offered the following FAQs:
Why are we closing the Bose AR SDK Beta?
We’ve learned a great deal together over the past year. During that time, the Wearable SDK Beta has allowed us to validate and stabilize our technology, confirm the types of experiences we are able to support, and learn what resonates with our partners and customers. It is now time to close the public beta availability of the SDK, and to focus on supporting the experiences that we believe will provide the highest value to our customers, to Bose, and to our partners.
Has Bose considered making the SDK open source?
Maintaining an open platform and community requires constant support across a variety of functions. By limiting access to the Wearable SDK to select partners, our resources can shift to providing a higher level of attention and support than they would be able to while also supporting the wider developer community. This also provides focus for the ongoing development of our tools, building capabilities needed to support these experiences.
What will happen to my Developer Portal account?
As of 04/08/2020, we will be closing community access to the Bose AR sections of the Developer Portal and limiting further access to the SDKs, documentation, and AR-related forums. You will continue to have access to other Bose developer tools and forums.
What if I’m currently developing an app?
Apps in development, which have not started the Bose certification process, cannot be submitted to the App Store with the Wearable SDK. Bose AR functionality must be removed from the app project before submission, as your SDK license will no longer be valid.
What if my app is already in the App Store?
We have already reached out to developers for apps that have been certified by Bose. We have established a plan for how they will be supported moving forward.
How can I stay updated on future developer tools for Bose products?
The Bose Developer Portal will continue to offer and support developer tools to create new Bose product experiences. Sign up here to learn more about we have planned.
Source: Bose
