ThinkReality – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

January 12, 2021

Lenovo Targets Mid-2021 For ThinkReality A3 AR Glasses

This week as part of CES 2021, Lenovo announced its new model of AR glasses, the ThinkReality A3.

The A3 is a successor to the ThinkReality A6 headset from 2019, which was an enterprise-focused AR headset aimed at taking on similar offerings from Magic Leap and Microsoft’s HoloLens.

“The smart glasses are part of a comprehensive integrated digital solution from Lenovo that includes the advanced AR device, ThinkReality software, and Motorola mobile phones,” said Jon Pershke, Lenovo Vice President of Strategy and Emerging Business. Like the A6, the A3 is an enterprise-focused AR device.

Inside the ThinkReality A3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1, stereoscopic 1080p displays, an 8MP camera for 1080p video and dual fish-eye cameras for roomscale tracking. The headset will tether to a PC or select Motorola smartphones via USB-C, depending on the edition of the glasses.

The A3 PC Edition can tether to a laptop or PC in order to “enable users to position multiple, large virtual monitors in their field of view and use Windows software tools and applications.” Lenovo says the virtual monitors are “optimized and compatible” with its ThinkPad laptops and other mobile workstations that use Intel and AMD processors.

Lenovo ThinkReality A3

The A3 Industrial Edition will tether to Motorola smartphones that have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series or better, providing “hands-free, AR-supported tasks in complex work environments … supported by the ThinkReality software platform, which enables commercial customers to build, deploy, and manage mixed reality applications and content on a global scale.”

Lenovo says the ThinkReality A3 glasses will be available “in select markets worldwide starting mid-2021,” with no word on pricing.

June 1, 2020

Lenovo and Pico’s Standalone Headset Mirage VR S3 Arrives Q3 2020

Lenovo has announced today that it’ll be stepping back into the field of standalone virtual reality (VR) with the Mirage VR S3. A collaboration with Pico Interactive, the new device is set to arrive later this year focused on the business market.

The Lenovo Mirage VR S3 was originally revealed at the beginning of the year, alongside educational solution VR Classroom 2. Official unveiled during the VR/AR Global Summit Online Conference keynote, the headset looks very similar to Pico’s line of devices although it won’t compete with the latest Pico Neo 2 which has inside-out tracking.

A 3DoF VR headset which comes supplied with a controller, the Lenovo Mirage VR S3 features a 4K display, integrated audio and up to three hours of battery life. It’s supported by the Lenovo ThinkReality software platform, a cloud-agnostic solution for enterprise users to publish and manage applications for employees worldwide.

“VR helps achieve better, faster training at lower cost,” said Nathan Pettyjohn, Commercial AR/VR Lead, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo, in a statement. “Our enterprise customers are looking for solutions to build and enable more skilled and efficient global workforces. They are increasingly looking for cutting-edge solutions like VR and AR supported by ThinkReality’s flexible platform to scale applications enterprise-wide.”

Also embedded in the Lenovo Mirage VR S3 is Lenovo Integrated Solutions Support (LISS). A global end-to-end service program, expert technicians and engineers provide support via a dedicated phone line for quick access and a single point of contact to help resolve issues faster.

The Lenovo Mirage VR S3 has been given a Q3 launch window for North America, China, Japan, United Kingdom, France, and Spain. An exact price for the headset hasn’t been given, with Lenovo saying it’ll be under $450 USD for North American customers.

By the time Lenovo launches the Mirage VR S3 companies looking for standalone VR solutions will have quite the selection to choose from. As mentioned, Pico recently launched its Neo 2 and Neo 2 Eye headsets, Oculus for Business officially arrived in May using Oculus Quest plus there’s the HTC Vive Focus Plus on the market.

As this area of the industry continues to grow, VRFocus will keep you updated.

January 15, 2020

Lenovo Puts Education Front and Centre With VR Classroom 2

Supporting educational use cases for virtual reality (VR) is becoming an important addition for plenty of companies working in this space, from small developers like Schell Games with HoloLAB Champions or HistoryMaker VR to a 50-foot rocket ship for the SpaceBuzz programme. Continuing its support for VR education is tech giant Lenovo, recently announcing VR Classroom 2.

Lenovo VR Classroom 2

Designed as a complete solution allowing teachers to integrate VR into their lessons, Lenovo VR Classroom 2 is specifically for middle schools and high schools. Provided with Lenovo Mirage VR S3 hardware, content, training, and support, diverse curriculum-mapped experiences have been created for students, covering STEM, virtual tours, and career exploration.

Powered by Lenovo’s ThinkReality platform for easy headset deployment by IT staff and LanSchool so that teachers can smoothly use VR in their classrooms, there’s also optional hardware, accessories, and professional development available. Additionally, online and onsite training is provided.

“Preparing young people for the careers of tomorrow requires smarter technology and a reliable partner to support deployment. Teachers value the unbounded possibilities VR experiences bring to students when it is to easy-to-use and fully supported,” said Rich Henderson, Director of Global Education Solutions at Lenovo in a statement. “Whether it’s taking a virtual field trip inside DNA strands to teach a unit on genetic engineering, or a guided tour of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome in history class – Lenovo’s VR Classroom 2 offers a seamless journey for educators and students.”

Learning / Education

The Lenovo Mirage VR S3 looks to be a fairly standard 3DoF VR headset and controller, offering 1920×2160 resolution (per eye), a Qualcomm 835 SOC, 64GB of onboard storage (expandable to 256GB with an SD card), 75hz refresh rate, built-in audio, 110° FoV and USB-C charging.

For teachers and other interested educational professionals, details regarding specific courses and costs have yet to be revealed with Lenovo VR Classroom 2 scheduled for availability Spring 2020. As further information regarding VR Classroom 2 is released VRFocus will let you know.

May 13, 2019

Lenovo’s ThinkReality A6 Aims for Slice of AR Enterprise Market

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.

Lenovo 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.

Lenovo ThinkReality A6

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.