Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Introduction
At the World Mobile Congress (MWC 2024) on February 26, 2024, Chinese tech giant Lenovo unveiled an astonishing product: the ThinkBook Transparent Concept Laptop. The most striking feature of this laptop is its display—a 17.3-inch micro-LED transparent screen that allows users to see through to the objects behind it, offering a stunning visual experience. This laptop is not only visually impressive but also packed with powerful features, including advanced AI-generated content (AIGC) capabilities that overlay digital information onto physical objects, adding convenience to everyday life and work.
This transparent concept laptop marks a revolutionary innovation by Lenovo in the display technology and smart device sectors. It transcends the limitations and barriers of traditional screens, providing a more liberated and flexible visual experience. Furthermore, it enhances user experience with higher-level intelligent functions, making life and work simpler and more fun. The design concept, technological principles, and application scenarios of this product merit thorough exploration and understanding. This article aims to introduce and analyze the various aspects of the transparent concept laptop, enabling readers to better grasp and appreciate its allure and value.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Design Philosophy: The Perfect Integration of Transparency and Intelligence
The design inspiration for this concept comes from science fiction movies and visions of future life. In many sci-fi films, we often see characters using transparent screens for various operations and communications. Such screens not only embody a high-tech feel but also enable more interaction and connection with the surrounding environment and objects. Lenovo’s designers were drawn to and curious about these transparent screens, wishing to bring them from the realm of cinema into reality to offer users this novel visual experience.
The aim is to provide a more free and flexible visual experience, breaking away from the limitations and barriers of traditional screens. Conventional screens are usually opaque, blocking the user’s view of anything behind them, and restricting the user to only see the content displayed on the screen. This can make users feel isolated and closed off, limiting their vision and imagination. Transparent displays, however, allow users to see through the screen to the content behind it, expanding their line of sight and broadening their visual experiences. Users can choose the display mode of the transparent screen—such as fully transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque—to suit different environments and occasions. They can also combine and contrast the transparent display with the content behind it, creating more possibilities and fun.
The design philosophy is not only about pursuing aesthetic appeal but also about implementing more advanced intelligent functions, such as AI-generated content (AIGC). AIGC uses artificial intelligence technology to automatically generate digital content based on user input and intentions. With AIGC, the transparent display can overlay digital information on physical objects, providing users with more information and services. For example, users can input a location or an item’s name on the transparent display, and the display will show related information on the map or item behind it, such as distance, price, and reviews. Users can also input a question or command, and the display will show the corresponding answer or feedback on the person or object behind it, such as weather, time, temperature, etc. Through AIGC, the transparent display can make life and work simpler and more enjoyable for users, and also create more interactions and connections with the content behind it.
Technical Principle: The Revolutionary Breakthrough of Micro-LED
You might wonder how the display of Lenovo’s Transparent Concept Laptop can both show images and allow light from the background to pass through. The secret lies in micro-LED, a groundbreaking display technology made up of millions of tiny, nearly invisible LED chips. Each chip emits a bright light, and together, they form the images we see. Micro-LED has many advantages, such as high brightness, high contrast, low power consumption, and long lifespan. However, its most astonishing feature is its ability to achieve transparency. How is this possible?
This achievement is thanks to the innovations and optimizations made by Lenovo’s engineers in the design of micro-LED, mainly in three aspects:
Optical Film on Micro-LED Chips: A special material called optical film covers the micro-LED chips. This material can change the reflection and transmission of light depending on the state of the micro-LED chips. When the chips are lit, the optical film reflects light towards our eyes, allowing us to see the image. When the chips are not lit, the film allows light to pass through, enabling us to see the content behind the screen. This achieves the transparent display effect.
Precise Control of Micro-LED Chips: The engineers employed a technique known as dynamic driving to precisely control the micro-LED chips. This technique adjusts the brightness and color of the chips in real-time based on our input and intentions, as well as changes in the background light, to achieve the best display effect. The advantage of dynamic driving is that it allows us to freely choose the display mode of the transparent screen, such as fully transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque, to suit different environments and needs. For instance, if we want to see the scenery behind the screen, we can choose the fully transparent mode; if we want to see objects behind it, we can select the semi-transparent mode; if we wish to focus on the content displayed on the screen, we can opt for the opaque mode.
Analysis and Processing of Content Behind the Screen: Intelligent recognition technology analyzes and processes the content behind the screen. Using artificial intelligence, this technology captures the features and information of the content behind the screen through cameras or other sensors. Then, based on our input and intentions, it generates corresponding digital content to combine and contrast with the background content, creating more possibilities and fun. For example, if we input a location or an item’s name on the transparent display, it will show related information on the map or item behind it, such as distance, price, and reviews. If we input a question or command, the display will show the corresponding answer or feedback on the person or object behind it, like weather, time, temperature, etc. Through intelligent recognition, the transparent display can make our lives and work simpler and more enjoyable, and also increase our interaction and connection with the content behind it.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Device Structure: Exquisite Die Casting Craftsmanship
In addition to the transparent display, another highlight of the Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop is its device structure. Its base is made of a light, sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing metal casing, manufactured through die casting technology. This casing not only houses the device’s main components and circuit board, ensuring the performance and stability of the device but also contributes to its overall sleek design. Die casting is a manufacturing process where metal or other materials are injected into molds under high temperature and pressure to form the desired shape, widely used across various industrial fields.
Lenovo chose a special alloy for this purpose, characterized by high strength, toughness, thermal conductivity, and oxidation resistance. This material can withstand high temperatures and pressures and resist various forms of corrosion and wear. The color of this material is a subtle silver-gray, which complements the style of the transparent display and aligns with Lenovo’s brand image.
The die casting manufacturer Honjenny (HJY) brings 28 years of experience and expertise to this project, offering high-quality services and solutions for various die casting products. This collaboration highlights the commitment to excellence and innovation in the construction of the Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop, making it not only a technological marvel but also a piece of art.
Application Scenarios: Unlimited Possibilities in Life and Work
The Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop is not only a high-tech product but also highly practical, capable of enhancing various life and work scenarios with its advantages and charm, bringing more convenience and enjoyment to users. Let’s explore some specific application scenarios to experience the limitless possibilities of the Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop.
– In Daily Life: Place the transparent display in common locations like windows, mirrors, or desks to interact with family, friends, and smart home devices. On a window, view the outside weather and scenery while also seeing information and services on the transparent display, such as news, emails, schedules. On a mirror, see your reflection while also viewing suggestions and tips on the transparent display, like clothing choices, makeup advice, health tips. On a desk, see your books and stationery while accessing content and functionalities on the transparent display, such as reading, writing, drawing.
– While Traveling: Fold the transparent display to the size of a phone or tablet for interaction with navigation, maps, transportation. For instance, enter a destination on the transparent display to see the best routes and transportation methods on the map behind it, along with related information and services like attractions, hotels, restaurants. Capture a scenery or item on the transparent display, and it will show related information and knowledge on the photo behind it, such as history, culture, science.
– In Work and Study: Use the transparent display as an extended screen for your computer to interact with colleagues, clients, documents. Display a report or project on the transparent display to show related data and charts on the screen behind it, along with related information and feedback, such as evaluations, suggestions, revisions. Enter a question or command, and the transparent display will show the related answer or result on the screen behind it, along with related information and resources, such as citations, links, downloads.
– For Entertainment and Leisure: Use the transparent display for a new viewing or gaming experience, interacting with movies, actors, audiences. Watch a movie on the transparent display to see the film’s visuals and sound on the screen behind it, along with related information and services, like plot, characters, reviews. Play a game on the transparent display to see the game’s visuals and sound on the screen behind it, along with related information and functionalities, such as scores, rankings, chat.
These are just some of the application scenarios for the Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop. In reality, it offers many more possibilities—limited only by your imagination. The Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop is designed to adapt to various life and work scenarios, providing users with more information and services, enhancing interaction and enjoyment, and making life and work more beautiful and exciting.
Conclusion
This article has introduced and analyzed various aspects of the Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop, including its design philosophy, technical principles, device structure, and application scenarios, enabling readers to better understand and appreciate the charm and value of this product. The Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop is an innovative and practical product that leverages micro-LED technology to achieve a transparent display, offering users a novel visual experience and intelligent functionalities that enhance both life and work.
The Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop represents a revolutionary innovation in the fields of display technology and smart devices by Lenovo. It breaks through the limitations and barriers of traditional screens, providing a more free and flexible visual experience. Additionally, it offers more sophisticated intelligent functions, simplifying and enriching users’ lives and work. The Lenovo Transparent Concept Laptop is a forward-looking and leading-edge product that showcases Lenovo’s innovation capabilities and vision, as well as the development trends and future possibilities of display technology and smart devices.
