While augmented reality (AR) in the consumer sphere tends to revolve around mobile phone apps and videogames when it comes to enterprise the technology usually favours headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens, supplying information whilst providing hands-free operation to carry out tasks. Lenovo previously entered the virtual reality (VR) market with the Lenovo Mirage Solo and the Lenovo Explorer and now it has announced its first venture into the business AR market with the ThinkReality A6.
Revealed as part of Lenovo’s annual Transform 3.0 at Accelerate, ThinkReality is a newly launched sub-brand to provide software and hardware solutions for businesses. The ThinkReality A6 is the first device in this new portfolio with the aim of providing employees assistance, helping reduce repair times, eliminate errors, streamline complex workflows, improve training quality, collaborate with multiple team members and more.
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) processor, the headset offers a 40-degree diagonal field of view (FOV) with 1080p resolution per eye, weighing in at 380g (0.83lbs). Equipped with a depth sensor, Intel Movidius Visual Processing Unit (VPU), 13MP RGB camera, two fish-eye cameras, and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), users can control the headset voice, gesture, and gaze control, or with a 3DoF (Degrees of Freedom) hand controller.
Additional features include a removable 6800mAh battery which offers up to 4 hours of use, WiFi, Bluetooth, changeable nose pads, built-in speakers and support for glasses wearers.
One benefit for business users with Lenovo’s system is that it’s device and cloud agnostic, enabling enterprise customers to use and manage their AR and VR software applications across multiple operating systems, cloud services, and devices.
The headset is lightweight thanks to the separate compute box which users will have to clip to their clothes using the supplied belt clip. This is similar in design to the Magic Leap One Creators Edition which has the separate puck, while HoloLens is a completely self-contained system. Retailing for $2,295 USD and $3,500 (HoloLens 2) respectively, expect the ThinkReality A6 to also feature a similar price (nothing has been confirmed just yet) when it arrives later this year.
As further details are released VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest ThinkReality news.
The latest update to the Lenovo Mirage Solo adds a passthrough mode. The Mirage Solo is the first standalone Daydream headset, launched in May last year for $399. Daydream is Google’s Android-based VR platform.
Passthrough refers to seeing the real world while inside a VR headset via cameras built into or mounted on it. The feature was first announced back in September, and has now finally shipped to users.
GIF from Google
The option can be found in the Beta section of the Settings, and is described as “Allow headset to use camera see-through mode for safety graphics and in experimental apps“. There are no “experimental apps” which seem to use the passthrough mode yet.
Passthrough For Safety
The first VR headset to offer passthrough was the Samsung Gear VR. The phone’s rear camera could be activated from the settings, however its low field of view, lack of stereo and latency made it impractical. The HTC Vive in 2016 shipped with a similar kind of passthrough built into its Chaperone boundary system, so when you step near the edge it activates.
Google’s new passthrough system is also activated by leaning out of the play area. But unlike earlier passthrough systems, Google uses the two cameras and computer vision to enable depth perception. Passthrough techniques are also expected on the upcoming Oculus Quest and Rift S headsets.
Stereo-correct passthrough that activates when you move outside the play area is a great addition to VR, and could be an essential feature of all headsets in the future. Users who enable this on their Mirage Solo should be able to enjoy VR without worrying about situational awareness as much. Perhaps this is a stepping stone to a Mirage Solo successor from Google — a competitor to Facebook’s Oculus Quest?
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Five years ago Mark Zuckerberg directed Facebook to purchase Oculus VR for $3 billion.
This was the state of consumer VR in 2014.
In 2016, the first consumer Rift shipped for VR-ready PCs.
Facebook encountered fierce competition. Valve Corporation powered HTC Vive with its innovative “room-scale” Stream VR Tracking technology.
Vive was $800 when it launched, enabling free-movement over larger spaces with hand controllers included.
In 2017, Microsoft equipped PC manufacturers with the tracking technology it pioneered on the original HoloLens AR headset. HP, Lenovo, Acer, Samsung and others shipped a series of dual-sensor, easy-to-setup VR headsets. Two-forward facing sensors on these headsets find position and also track controllers.
Oculus Rift added Touch controllers in December 2016.
Three years of work and Rift S is the headset Facebook’s VR leaders landed on to replace its market-leading device.
How does it stack up?
We went hands-on with the headset and have our first impressions.
Rift S: The Best Of…Which Worlds?
The original Rift can be very frustrating. It needs four unused USB ports to deliver room-scale VR using three sensors.
With Rift S, only one USB slot is needed for room-scale VR. That’s a dramatic difference in setup complexity. Inside the headset, the light from the Rift’s display tends to catch the lenses in distracting ways. Early buyers called them “god rays”. The issue seemed to be no more in Rift S. The updated display and optics provided a huge boost to clarity overall. The screen door effect is greatly reduced.
PlayStation VR
PSVR is regarded by many as the most comfortable fit of the three major wired VR headsets to debut in 2016. Lenovo licensed the approach from Sony late last year, stating the “preeminence of the PSVR design is obvious.”
Rift S
That familiar “halo” design is now part of Rift S. Simply turn the knob at the back of your crown to tighten the headset’s fit. There’s a button on the front of the headset that allows for adjustment of the distance to your face. Facebook representatives said weight is distributed better compared with Rift, but Rift S weighs a little more overall.
Facebook’s provided specifications say Rift S displays 80 frames per second. That’s a very notable decrease from 90 FPS in Rift and Vive. That said, I couldn’t spot the difference in my limited time with the device. Rift S also lacks mechanical adjustment for interpupillary distance (IPD) — something that was included on the original headset.
Visually, Rift S paired with a brief demo of Asgard’s Wrath showed me some of the richest visuals I’ve ever seen in VR. The shiny hilt of a sword, undulating waves of a stormy sea, and the rainbow colors of the bifrost all seemed more vibrant and detailed than anything I’d seen before in a VR headset, and most certainly far better than anything I’ve seen previously in an original Rift. Some combination of the higher resolution Rift S display, improved optics, high-end graphics card and AAA-level content provided a stunning view that raised the bar visually for me.
Note, though, that I haven’t tried the new 4K HP Reverb VR headset. Senior Editor David Jagneaux said, comparatively, he thought the screen door effect was more visible on Rift S than on Reverb.
Five Sensors And One Wire
One big difference between Rift and Rift S is the open-ear audio design.
Rift S includes five sensors — all on the headset.
There are two pointed forward, two pointed downward and one on the top of the headset pointed directly upward. It is an unexpected configuration — different from the four corners approach used on Quest. A Facebook representative said the arrangement is to aid in compatibility with existing Rift content. I noted no tracking problems in my demos of Vacation Simulator and Asgard’s Wrath with Rift S.
I didn’t really try to break the tracking, though. The sensor layout may come with some added benefits over time as AR-related features are improved.
Upgrading To Rift S?
The $400 Rift S replaces the $350 Rift. Like the original, the new headset may drop in price over time. A Facebook representative said they aren’t planning a first-party wireless solution for Rift right now.
That means it provides access to an impressive library of exclusive Oculus games and, hopefully, it should have the same access to SteamVR releases as its predecessor. Plus, it includes the fantastic Touch controllers and doesn’t require any additional sensor placement or setup. Those are big steps forward for convenience. The system is still wired to the PC, though, which means it still carries the Rift’s core limitation.
We’ll have to visit a wide range of worlds and test out various tracking situations to understand the new headset better. In particular, we need more time with Rift S to understand how it relates to the rest of the market in 2019. One key thing to note? The original Rift could be used in the dark while the Rift S needs a space with lighting to work.
Stay tuned to Uploadvr.com for more information about Rift S.
The reveal of the Oculus Rift S at GDC this week was one of the industry’s worst kept secrets. What was better hidden, though, was the fact that Rift S is built in partnership with Lenovo. It’s even got a Lenovo logo on the side.
Oculus is no stranger to partnering up with manufacturers, at least on mobile VR hardware. Its first-ever headset, Gear VR, was made with Samsung and it collaborated with Xiaomi on the Oculus Go. Still, building a successor to the Rift with another partner seems strange. VP of Product Nate Mitchell says the decision was fairly straightforward, though.
“In the case of Rift S, we saw the opportunity to build through this evolutionary version of Rift,” Mitchell told us. “And we decided to ourselves, ‘Hey it would be great if we could partner [with someone] who can speed to market, who can help us take off some of the heavy lifting from our team and ideally bring some of their own expertise.'”
Lenovo was apparently quick to emerge as an ideal partner. “They’ve just done a lot of products in AR and VR so they’re very knowledgeable, actually, about what works and what doesn’t,” Mitchell added.
Indeed, Lenovo has both VR and AR headsets. For the former, it was a part of Microsoft’s line of Windows VR headsets that released in 2017. It also partnered with Google to release the Mirage Solo standalone headset for Daydream in 2018.
“So sitting down with them to design Rift S was actually a lot of fun,” Mitchell concluded. “And, ultimately, they did help in a really big way, bringing this product to market faster and [making it] more affordable.”
Even with Mitchell’s explanation, we can’t help but wonder if the real reason is a little different. Last year Lenovo revealed it had come to an agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment. The deal allowed Lenovo to keep using the halo-ring design for the Mirage Solo. Fast forward to today and Rift S is using the same halo ring. We don’t know the true specifics behind that deal, but it may be why Oculus sought out Lenovo in the first place.
Starlight is a well-known charity organization with the mission to create “moments of joy and comfort for hospitalized kids and their families” through a variety of initiatives. Initiatives include issuing gowns that let kids dress up as whatever they want to feel powerful, fun centers with things like video games, and Starlight Sites to transform hospitals into fun play zones. The most recent program, Starlight Xperience, is all about bringing the magic of virtual reality to the hospital.
In partnership with Google and Lenovo, Starlight delivers a Starlight Xperience kit to participating hospitals. The VR headset is a custom Lenovo Mirage Solo headset pre-loaded with over 20 VR experiences and customized for hospital use. The kit also includes headset-mounted headphones, charging cables, and a branded carrying case. Inside the headset the software has all been modified as well so instead of being in the Daydream UI you’re actually inside of a Starlight-branded portal with strict access to only the pre-approved age-appropriate content.
The Starlight Xperience
“Starlight is a 35-year old charity with a mission to make the hospital experience for seriously ill kids and family as positive, fun, and comfortable as possible,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO of Starlight in an interview with UploadVR. “We see children getting immersed in VR during painful medical procedures and the immersive distraction therapy lessens the need for heavy painkillers and anesthesia. VR can even take the place of pain killers in some cases.”
Distraction therapy is a well-studied and well-documented form of therapy. The tricky thing is finding the right balance of stimuli. If something is purely passive, such as watching a video, it may not be enough. But if it’s too intensive and challenging, children give up or get frustrated, which exacerbates pain during a procedure.
The Magic of VR
“Our partners at Stanford developed very basic games that let administrators click a button to make it more challenging on the fly,” says Helfrich. “That lets them administer more of a cognitive load, forcing them to focus extra hard when the need is higher, so they’re fully distracted during the most painful points.”
“Whether they want to go snorkeling in the ocean or on a trip to the top of Mt. Everest, we accommodate as many interests as possible,” says Helfrich.
The types of experiences on offer vary as well, but they’ve partnered with Disney for some apps, such as the Droid Repair Bay, to deliver familiar characters in an interactive space.
“Just because you’re in the hospital doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to experience the wonder and magic of child life,” says Helfrich.
Some of the big box retailers have already published their Black Friday deals, but there are still a few to go leading up to the November 23rd sale. But before Black Friday and Cyber Monday even begin, you can get an awesome deal on a new Windows VR headset, including controllers.
Both items benefit from free shipping, and also free pickup from participating Walmart stores.
Image courtesy Microsoft
Lenovo Explorer is one of Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headsets, which packs on-board positional tracking thanks to the headset’s optical sensors. That means you don’t have to set up anything on walls to give you the room-scale experience like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
It does however require an adept PC to run though. You can check out our guide here to see if your computer is up to snuff to run the same graphics-demanding games that Rift and Vive can.
Like all Windows VR headsets, you can access hundreds of VR games through Steam including SUPERHOT VR, Beat Saber, Rec Room, and much more.
Lenovo Explorer Specs
Display
Size : 2 x 2.89″
Resolution : 2880 x 1440
Display Type : LCD
Lenses: FOV 110°
Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
Sensors
2 x Inside-out motion tracking cameras
Proximity
Gyroscope
Accelerometer
Magnetometer
Connectivity
Y Cable with video connection and USB 3.0
3.5 mm audio jack
Dimensions
Width : 185.1 mm / 7.3″
Length : 94.8 mm / 3.7″
Height : 102.1 mm / 4″
Cable Length : 4 m / 13.1 feet
Weight
380 g / 0.84 lb
Design / Material
Design : Front-hinged
Material : Plastic (main body)
Color
Iron Gray
Play Area Requirements
Room scale (min.) 3.5m x 3.5m / 11.5 feet x 11.5 feet
Die PlayStation-VR-Brille überzeugt viele Nutzer-/innen mit seinem komfortablen Tragegefühls, welches dank des innovativen Designs der Kopfhalterung entsteht. Das Konstrukt überzeugte dermaßen, das Lenovo sich vermutlich stark bei der Entwicklung seiner Mirage Solo inspirieren lies. Die Ähnlichkeit der beiden VR-Brillen ist augenscheinlich vorhanden, was auch den Verantwortlichen von Sony nicht verborgen blieb. Anstatt einen Rechtsstreit anzuzetteln, reagiert der japanische Elektronikkonzern allerdings vorbildlich und handelte eine außergerichtliche Einigung aus: Sony Interactive Entertainment und Lenovo verkündeten in einer kürzlichen Presseerklärung die Lizenzierung des PSVR-Designs für die Mirage Solo für die nächsten zwei Jahre.
Sony Interactive Entertainment & Lenovo – Neue Partnerschaft lizenziert PSVR-Design-Nutzung für Mirage Solo
Sony und Lenovo kündigten gestern eine neue Partnerschaft zur Lizenzierung des VR-Brillen-Designs der PlayStation VR (PSVR) für die Mirage Solo an. Beide Unternehmen unterzeichneten die Vereinbarung für die Nutzung über zwei Jahre. Ein respektabler Schritt vonseiten Sony, denn die Ähnlichkeit der beiden Modelle ist mehr als offensichtlich:
PlayStation VR (PSVR)
Lenovo Mirage Solo
In einem Statement verkündet Riley Russel, Chief Legal Officer von SIE, die Beweggründe für diesen Entschluss:
“Wir freuen uns, Ihnen mitteilen zu können, dass wir das PSVR-Brillen-Design an Lenovo lizenziert haben. Das Industrie-Design der PSVR ist weithin angesehen, was das Ergebnis jahrelanger harter Arbeit unserer PlayStation-Ingeniere ist. Diese Vereinbarung mit Lenovo ist ein weiterer Beweis für die hohe Qualität des Designs der PSVR sowie für das Engagement von SIE, großartige Virtual-Reality-Erfahrungen zu schaffen und die VR-Industrie auch zukünftig mit unserer Unterstützung zu erweitern.”
Und auch Yao Li, Vice President von Lenovo Consumer Tablets and Smart Devices Product and Business Management, findet herzliche Worte über die unerwartete Kooperation:
“Lenovo freut sich sehr über die Partnerschaft mit Sony. Die Vorrangstellung des PSVR-Designs ist offensichtlich. Diese Vereinbarung wird es uns ermöglichen, gemeinsam die Attraktivität des rasant wachsenden VR-Bereichs deutlich zu steigern und ist zudem ein hervorragendes Beispiel dafür, wie große Verbrauchermarken in der VR-Branche zusammenarbeiten können, um den VR-Markt für seine Konsumenten nachhaltig zu verbessern.”
Sony and Lenovo announced they’ve signed a two-year patent license agreement that will allow Lenovo to base a future VR headset off the PSVR industrial design.
Lenovo says the PSVR design will be used in the making of a new Mirage Solo VR headset.
It’s unclear what Lenovo specifically needs from the four year-old headset design, as the company’s Daydream standalone headset Mirage Solo already utilizes a number of design elements popularized by PSVR, including a remarkably similar halo strap and focus-adjustment mechanism.
It’s more likely however that the patent licensing will allow Sony and Lenovo to more closely share design insights as they both look towards the next generation of devices.
Yao Li, vice president of Lenovo Consumer Tablets and Smart Devices Product and Business Management, says the agreement will allow the companies to “work together to greatly enhance the design sophistication and appeal of the rapidly expanding VR field, and is an outstanding example of how great consumer brands in the VR industry can work together to benefit the consumer VR market.”
Lenovo currently boasts three consumer devices in the area of AR/VR including Lenovo Mirage Solo, Lenovo Mirage AR headset, and Lenovo Explorer, the company’s Windows VR headset.
A three paragraph press release issued by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Lenovo suggests the companies quietly resolved a disagreement over the latter’s use of Sony’s PlayStation VR headset design.
Lenovo’s Mirage Solo headset is an intriguing developer kit which is getting upgrades by way of a new Google add-on that will give the standalone headset a pair of 6DoF hand controllers. The way the headset balances weight distribution and tightens for a snug fit, however, bears a striking resemble to Sony’s headset, as you can see here:
At left is the Lenovo Mirage Solo, which started shipping in 2018. In the center is a patent image from Sony with dates listed on the patent going back to 2014 and 2015. At right is the Sony PlayStation VR headset which started shipping first in 2016.
The release suggests the outcome — a two-year patent licensing deal for PSVR’s industrial design — was viewed by Sony’s Riley Russell, Chief Legal Officer, as the best one for “helping the VR industry expand.”
“The industrial design for PS VR has been widely acclaimed, and that was the result of years of hard work by PlayStation engineers,” according to Russell’s prepared statement.
It is unclear whether the agreement covers future headsets, but it seems possible Lenovo could double down on the Daydream ecosystem in 2019 with a new headset that features two 6DoF hand controllers. We’ll be curious to see a.) if that headset actually comes to pass and b.) whether it bears any continued similarity to Sony’s design. We’ll also be curious to see if any other agreements are announced by companies with headsets which bear more than a passing resemblance to Sony’s.
