Lenovo’s Auto Twist concept laptop has a lid that can swivel and bow down at your command

It can automatically transform into tablet mode, and even dance a bit.

Sam Rutherford
·Senior Writer, Reviews
·3 min read
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Last year, Lenovo showed off a fantastically futuristic concept gadget called Project Crystal, which was the world’s first laptop to feature a transparent MicroLED display. But today, in what has become a tradition for Lenovo during IFA, the company is back with yet another demo notebook, this time equipped with a motorized rotating hinge.

Dubbed the Auto Twist AI PC, Lenovo’s latest concept looks almost exactly like a traditional clamshell when closed. However, with a simple voice command, its lid raises automatically and rotates into practically any position — even all the way around into tablet mode. While there is no official pricing, or even plans to bring the device to full production just yet, Lenovo says the Auto Twist is designed to provide enhanced adaptability, improved ergonomics and possibly better security. But for now, the company’s main goal is simply to see what environments or use cases might be able to best take advantage of a laptop with this kind of novel design.

Thanks to built-in object tracking, for example, the Auto Twist can move its display and follow people as they walk around a room, which could be very helpful when making presentations. It can also detect a person’s body, and possibly even their posture, before moving its display into the best position to reduce fatigue or strain.

An animated photo showing the Lenovo Auto Twist laptop's screen swiveling almost 360 degrees on its hinge, then folding down when its display is facing out. In the end, the lid is flat on top of the keyboard with its screen facing up.
An animated photo showing the Lenovo Auto Twist laptop's screen swiveling almost 360 degrees on its hinge, then folding down when its display is facing out. In the end, the lid is flat on top of the keyboard with its screen facing up. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Alternatively, the laptop can detect when it’s not being used and then close its own lid to prevent unwanted users from gaining access. And while the Auto Twist’s AI tag feels a bit spurious, Lenovo hopes the laptop will be able to do many of these things on its own or through simple natural language voice control (the laptop currently supports commands to transform into laptop mode, clamshell mode and more).

After seeing it in person, the most immediate use case that came to my mind was in POS (point-of-sale) payment terminals. Here, employees often have to manually flip a screen around so that the customer can see their total or add in things like a tip. Granted, the Auto Twist does seem like overkill in that situation considering how easy it is to rotate a screen around the old-fashioned way with your hands a basic hinge. And at least from what I saw, the built-in motor wasn’t quite as smooth as you’d probably want for commercial applications. But, it is an interesting idea with potential for high-end luxury outlets.

Then there’s just the fun of it. During my demo, I watched as the Auto Twist played a clip of a dancer as its motorized hinge attempted to make its display match the person’s movements. I also saw the laptop swivel its display horizontally to present an ultra-wide panoramic photo in a more engaging way. Additionally, while other bleeding-edge tech like laptops with foldable displays suffer from a ton of added weight and bulk, the rotating servo on Lenovo’s latest concept is relatively unobtrusive and there isn’t a huge impact on the device’s overall portability.

An animated photo showing the Lenovo Auto Twist laptop concept, where its screen slowly flips up on its own. A ballerina dances onscreen, almost in tandem with the device's movement. The screen rotates about 45 degrees so it's diagonally across the keyboard below, then bows down slightly as the ballerina bows too.
An animated photo showing the Lenovo Auto Twist laptop concept, where its screen slowly flips up on its own. A ballerina dances onscreen, almost in tandem with the device's movement. The screen rotates about 45 degrees so it's diagonally across the keyboard below, then bows down slightly as the ballerina bows too. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

So while it remains to be seen how useful the Auto Twist really is or what it might turn into down the line, I appreciate that Lenovo is still trying to come up with new ways to evolve the classic clamshell laptop.