Tried out the Lenovo prototype: I use the ring to navigate through 3D worlds
Instead of using a mouse or controller, you control Lenovo's new 3D applications with a finger ring. Although a prototype can be seen at the MWC tech fair, it is very promising.
After initial explanations from the Lenovo developers, I was allowed to put the ring on myself. It is hardly any bigger than other smart rings, such as the recently tested Oura Ring 4. The model from Lenovo is worn on the index finger so that I can tap on it with my thumb.
On the laptop screen in front of me, I can see a second special feature: the view on the screen is three-dimensional. I can see spatial depth without having to wear special glasses. However, like the ring, this screen is just a prototype that Lenovo is presenting at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Scrolling and clicking with the ring on my finger
I can now swipe up and down on the ring with my thumb and scroll through the various menu items. If I click twice on the red dot on the ring, it's like double-clicking. It feels very intuitive and natural.
Source: Lorenz Keller
I open a view with 3D objects and can test another function of the ring here. If I turn my wrist, I can rotate the three-dimensional dinosaur on all sides and across all axes.
I leave the app again with a long press on the red dot. And with a flick of the finger, I can switch from the 3D interface to normal Windows - and back again. The ring can be used anywhere as a controller. As a test, I use it to switch discreetly from one slide to the next in a presentation.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Not yet a fully-fledged mouse replacement
In the first hands-on, the operation seems very intuitive and well thought-out. The ring is so compact and light that I don't perceive it as an annoying element. However, I am also used to wearing rings.
However, this version is not yet intended as a mouse replacement, as I can only scroll, click, flick and turn. Navigating the cursor across the screen doesn't work yet. Lenovo has not yet revealed whether this is planned as a further development.
But the prototype has already shown that rings definitely have potential as an alternative controller - at least in special applications such as 3D programmes or in combination with VR glasses.
Source: Lorenz Keller
The Swiss start-up Padrone is also working on a ring to replace a mouse. The technology here is much more complex with an integrated camera - and the ring therefore has significantly more functions. Lenovo's version is much smaller and focusses on specific tasks. I'm curious to see which approach will prevail and come onto the market first as a series version.
Header image: Lorenz Keller
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Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
