DaystAR
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| DaystAR | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone AR |
| Creator | Lenovo |
| Developer | Lenovo Research[1] |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 40° (2017 announcement)[2]; 43° (2022 manufacturer recap)[3] |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Free-formed surface lenses (announced)[2] |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | Spatial positioning and SLAM (manufacturer description)[3] |
| Audio | |
| Camera | Built-in camera (2017 concept)[4] |
| Device | |
| Sensors | Spatial sensing described by the manufacturer[3] |
| Input | Gesture interaction (manufacturer description)[3] |
DaystAR (styled daystAR by Lenovo) is Lenovo's standalone augmented reality headset concept, unveiled at the third Lenovo Tech World event in Shanghai on 20 July 2017.[5][2] The head-mounted display was presented as a proof of concept, with no price or release date announced at that event.[2][6] Its design placed the vision-processing hardware in the headset, so the announced system did not require a phone or PC.[6]
Lenovo also used the daystAR name for an AR platform and industry solutions. The company released the platform and stARkit software development kit at Tech World 2018, and reported applications in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance later that year.[7][1] Those platform developments and later Daystar glasses are distinct from the particular headset concept shown in 2017.
Introducing the DaystAR AR HMD
Lenovo's 2017 technology strategy included investment in artificial intelligence, AR, the Internet of Things and big data. Contemporary coverage dated the announcement of a US$1.2 billion investment program over four years to April 2017; Lenovo's August 2017 earnings announcement also recorded a US$1.2 billion commitment to AI research and development.[4][8]
At Lenovo Tech World, chief technology officer Yong Rui revealed the headset concept. The announcement described an independent vision processing unit and free-formed surface lenses with a 40-degree field of view.[2] Lenovo's subsequent account of the 2017 demonstration described a technician using information overlays while working on a jet engine, identifying problems and consulting colleagues remotely.[1]
Hardware
DaystAR's appearance drew contemporary comparisons with Microsoft HoloLens.[9][2] Road to VR reported that non-functional display models were available in four metallic colors and had a turn-wheel strap adjustment, visible sensors and a second wheel on top. Its suggested use of the upper wheel to adjust interpupillary distance was speculative.[2] Lenovo separately described the on-stage industrial demonstration.[1]
The headset was designed as an optical AR display, with onboard vision processing and a built-in camera. Lenovo's announced software platform provided object-recognition services and tools for working with 3D content.[4]
| Feature | Documented description and scope |
|---|---|
| Computing arrangement | Standalone concept, without a required phone or PC, as described in July 2017.[6] |
| Optics | Free-formed surface lenses in the 2017 announcement.[2] |
| Field of view | Launch reports quoted 40°. Lenovo's November 2022 retrospective described the 2017 headset as 43°. Neither account specified the measurement axis; the figures are retained with their source dates.[2][3] |
| Display resolution | Lenovo's 2022 historical recap listed 1280 × 960, without specifying whether this represented one eye or the complete display.[3] |
| Vision processing | An independent vision processing unit, described at the unveiling and again in Lenovo's later recap.[2][3] |
| Spatial interaction | Lenovo's 2022 account described gesture interaction, spatial positioning, SLAM and local and cloud object recognition for the 2017 headset.[3] |
Lenovo's retrospective also described a virtual image equivalent to a 100-inch display at three metres and support for users with myopia, but did not give a diopter range or an optical test method.[3]
Software and features
During the 2017 event, Lenovo outlined its AR application platform. Announced services included Cloud Object Recognition, Remote Assistance, Multiplayer Interaction and 3D Content Manager. Developers were to use the platform to scan, upload and edit 3D content and build applications for different industries.[2][4]
The remote-assistance use case combined a view of physical equipment with digital overlays and communication with another worker.[1] Lenovo later described object recognition both locally and through cloud services, together with gesture input and spatial positioning.[3]
Platform release and industrial work
At Tech World 2018 in Beijing, Lenovo released the daystAR platform and stARkit software development kit. The company's September 2018 announcement named stARkit-Device, stARkit-Cloud, daystAR software, stARemote and stARview as parts of the platform, developer kit and operating system offering.[7]
On 6 November 2018, Lenovo Research and COMAC Shanghai signed a strategic partnership at the Zhuhai Air Show. Lenovo described plans for a joint AR laboratory and applications in aircraft cable-connector assembly, functional testing, installation inspection and remote equipment-maintenance assistance.[1] In the same announcement, Lenovo reported that Suparna Airlines had introduced its daystAR solution into airliner maintenance. These were manufacturer-reported applications and planned work under the partnership.[1]
Later Daystar hardware
Lenovo's November 2022 retrospective identified the original 2017 standalone headset separately from the subsequent G1, G2, NewG2 and NewG2 Pro glasses, dating NewG2 Pro to 2021.[3] The later G2 had a different computing arrangement: Lenovo's October 2020 Tech World account described connections to an external computing pack, PC or smartphone, and use alongside its Daystar Robot through a 3D video stream.[10] Those G2 connections are not the announced standalone configuration of the original headset. The Daystar Robot is a separate machine, rather than another name for DaystAR's 2017 head-mounted display.
Lenovo's phone-powered AR headset
DaystAR followed another Lenovo AR announcement in the same month. On 15 July 2017, Disney's D23 coverage introduced Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, developed with Lenovo, with lightsaber and holochess experiences.[11] That was a separate phone-powered AR system. Its official November 2017 launch account described inserting a smartphone into the headset and using a lightsaber controller and tracking beacon.[12]
The holochess game was a version of dejarik from Star Wars: A New Hope. The same release account recorded availability on 3 November 2017.[12] The July D23 presentation was an announcement of the experience, rather than its retail release, and the smartphone-powered product should not be confused with DaystAR's onboard-processing concept.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "China’s Largest Aircraft Maker Turns to Lenovo Augmented Reality". Lenovo. 2018-11-28. https://news.lenovo.com/chinas-largest-aircraft-maker-turns-to-lenovo-augmented-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Scott Hayden (2017-07-20). "Lenovo Reveals AR Headset DaystAR". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/lenovo-reveals-ar-headset-daystar/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 "剧透来了，2022联想创新科技大会精彩提前看！". Lenovo. 2022-11-04. https://brand.lenovo.com.cn/brand/PPN01556.html. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Koh Wanzi (2017-07-20). "Lenovo unveils daystAR mixed reality headset and its big dreams for an AI-dominated future". HardwareZone. https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/incoming/tech-news-lenovo-unveils-daystar-mixed-reality-headset-and-its-big-dreams-ai-dominated-future. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ "Investor Calendar". Lenovo Investor Relations. https://investor.lenovo.com/en/ir/calendar.php?year=2017. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mariella Moon (2017-07-20). "Lenovo reveals AR headset and other ambitious AI concepts". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017-07-20-lenovo-ar-headset-ai-smart-speaker-concepts.html. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Lenovo Tech World: AI Solutions Offer Real Advantages Today". Lenovo. 2018-09-27. https://news.lenovo.com/lenovo-tech-world-ai-solutions-offer-real-advantages-today/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ "LENOVO CONTINUES TO GAIN MOMENTUM IN FIRST QUARTER FY 2017/18". Lenovo. 2017-08-18. https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/lenovo-continues-to-gain-momentum-in-first-quarter-fy-2017-18/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ Brad Jones (2017-07-20). "Lenovo's new DaystAR headset looks a lot like Microsoft's HoloLens". Digital Trends. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/lenovo-daystar-headset-augmented-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ "How Smarter Technology Will Shape Nearly Everything We Do in the Next Decade". Lenovo. 2020-10-28. https://news.lenovo.com/how-smarter-technology-will-shape-nearly-everything-we-do-in-the-next-decade/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ Jocelyn Buhlman (2017-07-15). "Level Up! Disney’s Video Games Showcase Gives Us 5 Reasons to Hit Start". D23. https://d23.com/level-up-disneys-video-games-showcase-gives-us-5-reasons-to-hit-start/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dan Brooks (2017-11-03). "How Jedi Challenges Brings Star Wars to Life at Home". StarWars.com. https://www.starwars.com/news/how-jedi-challenges-brings-star-wars-to-life-at-home. Retrieved 2026-10-14.