Lenovo
Lenovo’s new ThinkReality VRX headset is an effort to do for the enterprise what Meta’s Quest line has done for the consumer market: create an easy-to-use, self-contained VR ecosystem that anyone can jump right into.
The “pancake” optics allow the display portion of the headset to be thinner and lighter than most previous lens and display types would allow. Lenovo
The new unit features a highly adjustable halo-style head strap designed to make it comfortable for any user, as well as features like pancake optics that help reduce its weight and size. Once it’s strapped on, wearers can take advantage of the ThinkReality VRX’s inside-out tracking, which provides 6 degrees of freedom via its four outward-facing tracking cameras.
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The four corner-mounted cameras help with tracking, while the two forward-facing ones are used for pass-through capture. Lenovo
Two additional cameras also provide “full-color, high-resolution” pass-through of the user’s surroundings, allowing you to use AR (Augmented Reality) or MR (Mixed Reality) applications that integrate the real world around you, and to navigate the space around you safely without having to remove the headset. This hardware’s potential for different use cases is boosted by the Snapdragon XR platform powering the headset, Lenovo said.
The company believes functions such as these will make the ThinkReality VRX useful for tasks such as employee training and virtual collaboration.
One of Lenovo’s main purposes for the headset is to be used as a safe way to train workers. Lenovo
Lenovo claims businesses employing VR for training are “experiencing up to 4X faster training on soft skills compared to classroom training and 275% more confidence in applying skills.” The company further says, “VR training can reduce the risk of injury at the workplace by up to 43%.”
While the ThinkReality VRX headset can work as a completely stand-alone device, Lenovo touted its flexibility as a universal “on-ramp to the enterprise Metaverse” by showing it can also be tethered to a PC for use when needed. This includes support for cloud-based rendering solutions, like Nvidia’s CloudXR technology, to power “XR graphics-intensive applications” that require high-end GPU-based performance.
From a device management standpoint, Lenovo intends the ThinkReality VRX to be optimized for IT departments too. It supports built-in, at-scale deployment and configuration management capabilities, including software updates and worker feedback via individualized analytics.
The headset could be used to help planners envision AR-based floorplans and virtual prototypes. Lenovo
To further customize the unit for each customer, the ThinkReality VRX is launching alongside a suite of end-to-end services, including consulting and content creation, with cloud deployment and customer support built in. Lenovo says this will “help organizations achieve success in the new realities of the business environment.”
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Vishal Shah, GM of XR and Metaverse for Lenovo, said that his company’s customers are “looking for reliable, flexible, and scalable gateways into the growing enterprise Metaverse.” He believes that the ThinkReality VRX will “be the VR solution of choice for training and collaborating in immersive 3D.”
The large, concave pad in the back looks shaped to cushion the back of the wearer’s head. Lenovo
The reality of that prediction should become clearer when early access partners begin getting their hands on the ThinkReality VRX headset later in 2022. General availability is currently planned for worldwide markets in early 2023. Lenovo said it will disclose pricing closer to the product’s availability date. More information and tech specs can be found on the ThinkReality VRX product page.