Of all the computer shows, Asus is usually most active at COMPUTEX. And this year in Taipei, it’s showing us a mad new laptop concept that has two screens. Yes, two screens! Asus has replaced the keyboard with a full-size display, given the exterior a shiny glass finish, and christened the concept device Project Precog.
Project Precog has a virtual keyboard that supposedly activates when the user approaches it. It works based on proximity sensor inputs and AI understanding. “Intelligent Touch automatically recognizes the active input device and changes the virtual interface accordingly. It can automatically adjust the keyboard location depending on where the user places their fingertips, or automatically switch to stylus mode when a stylus touches the lower screen,” Asus said in a press release. The laptop hinge is 360-degrees and allows itself to be used in Stand, Book, Tent, and Flat modes.
Project Precog claims to be designed “to provide a smooth and intuitive experience for industry-leading AI technologies.” It supports the Intel Movidius vision processing unit, along with Windows Cortana and Amazon Alexa voice services. Apart from these few details and an impressive demo at COMPUTEX, nothing else is known about the new concept computer. The display is estimated to be around 14 inches in size and 4K in resolution.
Project Precog is expected to become a market-ready device that can be shipped to consumers in 2019, believes Marcel Campos, Asus’ Senior Director of PC and phone marketing. It appears Asus believes deeply in artificial intelligence and how much of an impact it can have in the future. Project Precog appears to be one of the first few steps in realising Intel’s AI dream.
Showcased along with Project Precog were the ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 (UX580) and ZenBook Pro 14 (UX480). Both feature a ‘ScreenPad’, which is a touchpad that also doubles up as a high-resolution full-colour touchscreen. You can read our first impressions of both the ZenBooks here.