Lenovo demonstrated at IFA 2024 the Auto Twist AI PC laptop concept, equipped with a motorized hinge. The new product is capable of automatically rotating the screen following the user’s movements, as well as transforming from a laptop to a tablet and back using voice commands.
Image source: Lenovo
Auto Twist AI PC is a new interpretation of the laptop form factor with a rotating screen, the history of which goes back more than 20 years, writes The Verge. Unlike modern convertible laptops with 360-degree hinges that fold with the screen facing out, early models rotated around a central axis and folded over the keyboard. Lenovo has already experimented with similar designs in 2012 and 2023, releasing a model with an OLED screen on one side and an E Ink display on the other.
Image source: Lenovo
Although the new concept responds to voice commands almost instantly, its transformation mechanism is quite slow, taking about 10 seconds to transform. However, the “follow me” user tracking feature, on the other hand, can quickly adjust the screen to the desired angle and is especially useful during video calls, for example.
According to Lenovo communications director Jeff Witt, the company is still experimenting with this technology. “Many concepts do not make it to market, but elements of such technologies may appear in the future,” Witt said. “It’s practically a video conferencing system built into a laptop, which, among other things, has great potential for people with disabilities.” He believes that the option to control a laptop using voice commands is not only convenient, but also stylish.