CastAR

CastAR, originally known as Technical Illusions, was a Palo Alto-based technology startup founded in March 2013 by former Valve employees Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson. The company developed a pair of glasses intended to combine augmented reality and virtual reality, with an emphasis on shared, interactive experiences rather than conventional smartphone-style overlays. Its approach used small projectors mounted on the glasses to send stereoscopic images toward a retro-reflective surface. The reflected light returned to the wearer’s eyes, producing what the company called “Projected Reality.” Because each eye received a separate image, the system was designed to create a stereoscopic display that appeared to occupy the user’s physical surroundings. A detachable virtual-reality component was also planned, allowing the hardware to operate in a more enclosed VR mode. The underlying project began while Ellsworth and Johnson were working at Valve. Their team spent more than a year developing the concept before the founders left the company and obtained legal ownership of their work. They introduced the project publicly through the maker community, where castAR received Educator’s Choice and Editor’s Choice recognition at the 2013 Bay Area Maker Faire. The company then used Kickstarter to finance development. The campaign exceeded its $400,000 goal within two days and ultimately raised more than $1 million, giving CastAR early visibility among hardware enthusiasts, developers, and people interested in emerging immersive technologies. CastAR’s proposition differed from many early consumer VR products because it sought to support both augmented and virtual reality while retaining a social and tabletop-oriented character. Its projected images could be viewed through specialized eyewear and a retro-reflective surface, making possible shared play spaces, interactive displays, and physical environments enhanced with digital objects. The company also positioned the technology for broader augmented-reality experiences, although a mass-market production product was never successfully brought to market. In August 2015, Playground Global invested $15 million in CastAR to support product development and the creation of augmented-reality experiences. The company stated that Kickstarter backers were repaid before the planned commercial launch, and that backers received a coupon for a free production set of the AR glasses. This arrangement reflected the substantial gap between the original prototype campaign and the later hardware-development program. CastAR expanded its management and development organization in 2016. Darrell Rodriguez, formerly president of LucasArts, became chief executive officer in August. Steve Parkis, whose previous experience included leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and Zynga, became president and chief operating officer. In September, CastAR opened a development studio in Salt Lake City using a team recruited from the former Avalanche Software, known for work on the Disney Infinity series. In October, the company announced its acquisition of Eat Sleep Play, a Salt Lake City game developer associated with the Twisted Metal franchise. These moves indicated an attempt to build both hardware and content capabilities around the CastAR platform. The management structure changed again in December 2016, when Parkis replaced Rodriguez as chief executive officer. CastAR subsequently encountered difficulty sustaining its development program. In June 2017, Polygon reported that the company was shutting down and laying off approximately 70 employees, while a smaller administrative group was expected to remain to dispose of the company’s technology. CastAR therefore ended as a commercial startup before achieving its planned consumer launch. The company’s technology later influenced Tilt Five, a new augmented-reality hardware venture launched by CastAR alumni. In September 2019, Ellsworth began a Kickstarter campaign for Tilt Five, which acquired CastAR technology and continued work on projected, tabletop-oriented augmented reality. CastAR’s legacy consequently lies less in a successfully marketed product than in its early demonstration of projected-reality glasses, its influential crowdfunding campaign, and the transfer of its technical ideas and personnel into a later immersive-technology company.

CastAR began as a hardware project developed by Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson while they were employed by Valve. The work focused on a new form of immersive display that could project stereoscopic images onto a retro-reflective surface. After leaving Valve, the founders secured legal ownership of the project and established Technical Illusions in March 2013. The company later adopted CastAR as the principal product and brand name. The prototype was presented to the maker community in 2013 and received Educator’s Choice and Editor’s Choice recognition at the Bay Area Maker Faire. CastAR then turned to Kickstarter, where its campaign passed the $400,000 funding goal within two days and ultimately raised more than $1 million. The proposed product consisted of glasses with small projectors, together with a retro-reflective surface that returned projected light toward the wearer. This design was intended to produce user-specific stereoscopic augmented-reality imagery. A removable VR clip-on was planned to support virtual-reality use as well. The company’s concept emphasized a combination of augmented reality, virtual reality, and shared physical play spaces. Unlike a conventional flat display, CastAR aimed to make digital objects appear within a tabletop or room-scale setting. The system was intended for games and other interactive experiences, although the company did not reach a sustained commercial release. CastAR was also a founding member of the nonprofit Immersive Technology Alliance, reflecting its participation in the broader emerging immersive-media industry. In August 2015, Playground Global invested $15 million in CastAR. The funding was intended to help the company develop the hardware and create content and experiences for the platform. CastAR later repaid Kickstarter backers and offered them a coupon for a free production pair of AR glasses. This occurred before the planned production product became available and distinguished the later development program from the original crowdfunding commitment. CastAR expanded its organization in 2016. Darrell Rodriguez, formerly president of LucasArts, became chief executive officer in August, while Steve Parkis became president and chief operating officer. In September, the company opened a Salt Lake City development studio staffed in part by people recruited from the former Avalanche Software, whose prior work included the Disney Infinity franchise. In October, CastAR announced the acquisition of Eat Sleep Play, another Salt Lake City game developer associated with Twisted Metal. The acquisitions and hiring suggested that CastAR intended to build an internal content-development capability alongside its hardware business. The leadership structure changed in December 2016, when Parkis replaced Rodriguez as chief executive. By the following year, the company was unable to continue its planned operations. Polygon reported in June 2017 that CastAR was shutting down and laying off approximately 70 employees. A smaller group was expected to remain temporarily to handle the company’s technology and related assets. CastAR consequently became a defunct startup without delivering the anticipated mass-market glasses business. The company’s technical and human legacy continued through Tilt Five. In September 2019, Ellsworth initiated a Kickstarter campaign for a new device based on the same general projected-reality principles. Tilt Five acquired CastAR technology and was founded by CastAR alumni including Ellsworth, Amy Herndon, Jamie Gennis, and Anthony Aquilio. CastAR is therefore remembered as an early projected-augmented-reality venture whose prototypes, crowdfunding campaign, investment, studio expansion, and eventual shutdown helped shape later efforts in tabletop and shared augmented reality.

• 2019

  Tilt Five continues the technology lineage

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  Jeri Ellsworth launched Tilt Five through Kickstarter using technology acquired from CastAR and involving former CastAR personnel.

• 2017

  Company shuts down

  [2]CastAR shuts downpolygon.com

  CastAR closed its operations and laid off approximately 70 employees, according to contemporary reporting.

• 2016

  CastAR expands leadership and development operations

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  Darrell Rodriguez became CEO, Steve Parkis became president and COO, and the company opened a Salt Lake City studio.

• 2016

  Eat Sleep Play acquisition is announced

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  CastAR announced the acquisition of the Salt Lake City developer Eat Sleep Play.

• 2016

  Steve Parkis becomes CEO

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  Parkis replaced Rodriguez as chief executive in December.

• 2015

  Playground Global provides growth funding

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  Playground Global invested $15 million to support product development and augmented-reality experiences.

• 2013

  Technical Illusions is founded

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  Jeri Ellsworth and Rick Johnson founded the company in March 2013 after developing the underlying display project at Valve.

• 2013

  CastAR receives maker-faire recognition

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  The prototype won Educator’s Choice and Editor’s Choice recognition at the Bay Area Maker Faire.

• 2013

  Kickstarter campaign raises more than one million dollars

  [1]CastARen.wikipedia.org

  The campaign exceeded its $400,000 target within two days and raised more than $1 million.

CastAR positioned itself as an immersive-technology company developing glasses that combined projected augmented reality with optional virtual reality. Its intended differentiation was a shared, tabletop-friendly experience using retro-reflective surfaces and stereoscopic projection, rather than a purely personal headset experience.

• Augmented-reality and virtual-reality eyewear

  castAR glasses

  The company’s proposed flagship eyewear used miniature projectors to send stereoscopic images toward a retro-reflective surface. Reflected light was directed back to the wearer, creating the projected-reality effect. The glasses were designed primarily for augmented-reality experiences but could also support virtual reality through a detachable VR clip-on. Intended applications included games, tabletop interaction, and shared immersive experiences. The product remained in development and did not achieve a sustained commercial launch.

• Virtual-reality accessory

  VR clip-on

  The VR clip-on was a planned accessory for the castAR glasses. It was intended to convert the open augmented-reality eyewear into a more enclosed virtual-reality configuration, extending the platform beyond projected images on physical surfaces. It formed part of CastAR’s effort to present one hardware system as capable of both AR and VR use.

• Display technology

  Projected Reality system

  Projected Reality was CastAR’s name for the display approach behind its glasses. Tiny projectors generated stereoscopic imagery, while a retro-reflective surface bounced the light back toward the user. The method was intended to create digital objects that appeared in a physical play area and could support shared, interactive augmented-reality experiences.

• 2013CastAR Kickstarter campaign

  United States · International crowdfunding audience

  CastAR used Kickstarter to fund development of its projected-reality glasses. The campaign surpassed its $400,000 target within two days and raised more than $1 million, creating an early community of prospective users and backers.

  Outcome. The campaign generated substantial early funding and attention, but the promised consumer product was not brought to sustained commercial release. Kickstarter backers were later repaid and offered a coupon for a free production pair of AR glasses.

  Source

• 2017

  Wind down operationsStrategy

  Background

  CastAR was unable to sustain its development and commercialization program.

  Action taken

  The company shut down and laid off approximately 70 employees, leaving a smaller administrative group to handle its technology and assets.

  Aftermath

  CastAR became defunct. Its technology was later acquired and used by Tilt Five, a venture involving several CastAR alumni.

  Source

• 2016

  Replace the chief executiveOther

  Background

  CastAR expanded its management team while preparing to develop hardware and content at a larger scale.

  Action taken

  Steve Parkis replaced Darrell Rodriguez as chief executive in December 2016.

  Aftermath

  The leadership transition preceded the company’s shutdown and workforce reduction in 2017.

  Source

• 2016

  Acquire Eat Sleep PlayM&A

  Background

  CastAR sought to add game-development capability to support content for its immersive hardware platform.

  Action taken

  The company announced the acquisition of Salt Lake City developer Eat Sleep Play.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition formed part of a broader expansion that also included a Salt Lake City studio, but the company later ceased operations.

  Source

• 2015

  Accept strategic investment from Playground GlobalStrategy

  Background

  CastAR needed additional capital to move from a crowdfunded prototype toward hardware production and the development of an experience ecosystem.

  Action taken

  The company accepted a $15 million investment from Playground Global.

  Aftermath

  The investment supported further development, but CastAR ultimately shut down before achieving a durable commercial launch.

  Investment. $15 million investment (August 2015)

  Source

1. 1CastARen.wikipedia.org
2. 2CastAR shuts downpolygon.com