When Lenovo put up its transparent laptop on display at MWC 2024 earlier this year, it baffled us all. We had only just recovered from that privacy nightmare, and now, Lenovo is showing off a new concept laptop that can transform on demand at IFA 2024.
On top of that, this laptop can track your movements to ensure that the display is always facing you. What’s happening here? How does it work exactly? All these questions were getting to me, so I dove a bit deeper into the new Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC. Here’s all you need to know!
The Most Athletic Laptop Out There
Turns out, staying true to its moniker, the Lenovo Auto Twist AI uses AI to track your facial movements using a motorized hinge. The point of it is for the display to always face you, no matter where you are in the room. So, I guess I don’t have to carry my laptop around the room during video calls anymore.
So, yes, wherever you are, the laptop is going to be turning its head to face you. I honestly couldn’t help but be reminded of the classic Exorcist scene where a possessed Regan turns her head 360 degrees. Ah, one of the best horror movie sequences ever. Very creepy though.
Just when I thought that this twistable hinge mechanism had beat the dust, Lenovo revived it with this concept laptop. Many laptops today include a 360-degree hinge that folds all the way back, with the keyboard becoming the base of the laptop. That’s probably why I am not as fond of 2-in-1 laptops anymore.
However, with the Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC concept, they’re bringing a twistable hinge mechanism that allows you to simply turn the screen 360 degrees and place it flat on the keyboard instead.
Not to mention, this way you can make the laptop’s display turn sideways towards any direction as well, which is a nifty little addition. However, do note that this is not a detachable screen.
Hi Twist, Transform!
Now comes the cool bit. On top of all that, the Lenovo AI laptop can also use voice commands to transform into tablet mode or laptop mode. Lenovo showcases how these voice commands work in an X post, stating,
It’s like a helping hand, but way cooler. Introducing the Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC, a proof of concept device designed to move with you.
Open saying, “Hi Twist, open lid,” the laptop instantly does so. Thanks to C. Scott Brown of Android Authority, I was able to get a clearer idea of how the other voice commands work. Scott notes that there are three other voice commands to which the Lenovo Auto Twist AI responds.
Upon saying, “Hi Twist, close lid” you can easily get the laptop to execute that action without putting a finger on it. In addition, you can also say, “Hi Twist, tablet mode” or “Hi Twist, laptop mode” for it to automatically transform. While it doesn’t do the Optimus Prime voice, it’s still cool enough.
Cool, But Is It Even Useful?
When The Verge asked Lenovo’s communication director Jeff Witt what purpose this laptop serves, here’s what he had to say – “We’re still experimenting with that. A lot of these concepts don’t come to market, but you may see elements of them down the line. It’s got face tracking; it’s basically a video conferencing system built into a laptop. There’s a lot of accessibility potential.”
And I do agree with Witt to some extent. We’re entering an unknown era of AI miracles, and while I don’t understand the ultimate utility of a laptop like this, I’m sure it’s not going to waste. For people with physical impairments, this can be a major game-changer.
Besides, we are already making progress in eye and hand tracking. These technologies together could make a whole lot of difference, if you ask me. However, there are a lot of things that such a concept laptop needs to take care of to justify its commercial existence.
What do you think of the Lenovo Auto Twist AI? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!
