Could the next hip tech item be named the eyePad?
Lenovo might have the answer after it teamed up with Swedish firm Tobii Technology to unveil the world's first eye-controlled laptop computer at the CeBIT trade show in Hanover, Germany, this week.
The fully functional, prototype laptop uses eye-tracking technology developed by Tobii as an intuitive new way to point, select and scroll, complementing traditional control-and-input interfaces like the keyboard and mouse.
According to Tobii, eye control will make personal computer interaction more effective.
The CeBIT demonstration followed Lenovo chairman Liu Chuanzi's promise last month 'to increase investment in brand building and product development'. A Lenovo spokesman in Beijing could not comment on the Tobii partnership when reached yesterday.
Those at the trade fair trying out the prototype, which has a 15-inch display and an integrated 300-hertz eye-tracking device from Tobii, were able to simply glance at an icon or application on-screen and more information was presented.
They could also zoom in on pictures or maps and automatically dim and brighten the screen.