Lenovo adds new solutions and devices to its ThinkIoT ecosystem

As part of its efforts to help make businesses smarter, Lenovo announced at its Accelerate business and partner event that it is bringing new solutions and devices to its ThinkIoT ecosystem.

The company's new warehouse automation solution will help improve productivity and efficiency in the supply chain by combining skilled workers with advanced technology. For instance, a warehouse employee can identify whether packages are put on the right pallet in just 200 milliseconds by using a high-performance camera sensor to read a QR code on a sticker placed on each box.

Lenovo's automated computer vision cashier prototype, which is currently being tested in a pilot program at its Beijing campus, could help transform the retail sector by using object recognition technology.

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This new smart retail solution includes an integrated camera, processor and sensors which can be used by customers at brick and mortar stores to scan all of their items at once, eliminating the need to detect individual bar codes.

ThinkCentre Nano and Nano IoT

Lenovo also announced that two new devices, the ThinkCentre Nano and Nano IoT, would be joining the ThinkIoT ecosystem.

The ThinkCentre M90n is the most compact commercial desktop series in the world at one-third the size of the company's ThinkCentre Tiny and the device brings up to 30 percent better energy savings when compared to traditional desktops. The ThinkCentre M90n-1 can even draw power from a compatible USB Type C monitor and due to its space-saving convenience, the device can even be stored behind the monitor to provide a clutter-free work environment.

While the ThinkCentre Nano has been designed for office use, the ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano IoT has been created to withstand the rigors of manufacturing environments with a broader thermal range (0-50 °C) and a quiet fan-less design.

The device serves as a secure IoT Gateway to provide processing and security for any IoT devices deployed in the environment that demand real-time responsiveness at the edge. The Nano IoT even enables the rapid relay of information between connected IoT peripherals, including both sensors and devices, in harsher commercial environments. An expansion I/O Box allows organizations to build out to their edge device needs with additional legacy ports and peripherals.

Both the ThinkCentre Nano and Nano IoT are expected to ship in August with the ThinkCentre M90n having an expected list price of $639 and the ThinkCentre M90n Nano IoT expected to cost $539 when it becomes available.