The current Covid-19 Pandemic accelerated digital transformation. It challenged teams to maintain productivity while working remotely utilizing virtual tools. It replaced in-person interactions with digital ones and tested technology companies to fill in the gaps. Important emerging technologies that surfaced during this time were virtual and augmented reality. Virtual collaboration, compounded by the pandemic, is now critical to future business success. The Lenovo ThinkReality A3 is an augmented reality solution that addresses this demand by helping users stay connected while being remote. Features such as Expert Assistant and AR Cast reduce errors while increasing efficiencies to keep the user safer and more productive than ever before. As more tasks become virtual, AR will be the catalyst to keep businesses going.
ThinkReality A3 software is a simple, intuitive, and purpose-built user interface that allows users to adjust device settings, open and manage applications, and quickly access important features such as the voice assistant. The software powers the ThinkReality A3 hardware and includes a mobile companion app that provides additional user controls. This holistic hardware and software solution is intended for employee training, industrial maintenance, and mobile office work. Unlike other AR solutions, the software design is optimized for hands-free interaction to give users more flexibility. The gaze-dwell default interaction is fast, accurate, and efficient. It also requires the least amount of user effort which reflects the product’s overall comfort. The minimalistic visual design is intentional. It prevents obstruction of the user’s field of view while deliberate design considerations such as adding eye-rest areas and increasing the spacing between selectable objects help to reduce errors and increase accuracy especially when using the gaze-dwell interaction.
Another important consideration of the design was ensuring it was inclusive and accessible for a greater population beyond our target users. These principles are the foundation of our design process and serve as our guide for user testing. A few design elements we incorporated to directly address these considerations included the integration of multiple input methods for user flexibility, selecting a high-contrast color palette that was optimized for additive displays, and adding the ability to adjust text and cursor sizes to increase legibility and visibility. To ensure we meet our goals of creating technologies for everyone we rigorously tested the software across a diverse range of participants. We’re confident that our platform not only exceeds user expectations, but it also surpasses the competition.
The ThinkReality A3 software greets users when the device turns on. Its elegant animations showcase its unique three-dimensional experience. The Home Launcher contains only the most important user controls which were validated with extensive user testing. Other controls are embedded within the side arc panels which are easily accessible as 3D drawers. Each selectable object is appropriately sized and
spaced from other objects to maximize user interaction and reduce accidental selection. The gracious spacing and inclusion of white space make the best use of content without blocking the user’s field of view—a challenge amongst all AR solutions. Other challenges such as black rendering as transparent on additive displays, forced us to rigorously test our color selection to ensure content was high-contrast regardless of the user’s environmental lighting conditions. Additionally, the inclusion of icon labels and controls for text size make the design more accessible for users. These design elements coupled with the ambient light sensor guarantee display content is readable for many users across various use cases.
Customization and personalization were at the heart of design. Users have a unique login that saves user preferences including the ability to pin apps on the Home Launcher for quicker access. Additional user preferences such as cursor size and color and even dwell speed can be modified at any time. For added flexibility, the user can access the main controls on the displays, on the glasses, and within the companion app. This is important when designing for various use cases and populations as some users may not have access to one or multiple input modalities. With multiple sensors and cameras, the software was designed to adjust naturally to provide users with additional comfort, especially when mapping the real-world. Other considerations around the diversity and inclusivity of voice and gesture experiences propel this solution above its competition.
Finally, the software works holistically with its hardware components. The glasses come with a fit kit that allows users to select from a range of temple ends and nose pieces that were tested across various countries and anthropometric scales. The nose pieces can be further molded to conform to various shapes, sizes, and angles. This hardware comfort combined with the software flexibility enhances the augment reality experience. Each ThinkReality A3 is managed by Lenovo’s ThinkReality Cloud Portal which provides custom configurations, device management, app creation, and app management all from a single location. IT administrators can manage devices across the world from the comfort of their desks and with intelligent built-in telemetry, have the power to collect important device utilization metrics and insights they have never had access to before.
With the ever-changing workspace, a more global approach to business, and the acceleration of digital transformation, the ThinkReality A3 software modernizes the future of productivity and allows all users to embrace virtual collaboration through a beautiful and purpose-built design.