Baidu Eye, Chinese- language search engine's version of Google Glass was publicly unveiled by Baidu for the first time Wednesday. According to Mashable, the ocular wearable device was shown at the Baidu World conference in Beijing.
Reportedly, the Baidu Eye has no screen or any optical display, instead it sends information to a user's mobile device via an app. The company said this method makes it "easier to browse than on a small, mounted screen" and aims to "consume less energy so the battery lasts much longer."
Mashable reported that the device looks like a wraparound headset that rests on top of a user's ears. An earpiece is found on its left arm and a camera on its right arm. The company said that it takes photos, recognizes objects and analyzes information in its surroundings.
"Baidu Eye is able to sync information both visually (through smartphone - larger screen, less stress on eyes compared to the small visual display on Google Glass) and aurally," a spokesperson told Mashable in an email. In addition, the spokesperson said that it provides "the same kind of functionality" as Glass.
The company described the gadget's features which includes voice and gesture commands, including "expanding to zoom" and "circling an object with your finger". It can also find products, such as handbags and clothes, on e-commerce sites.
The Baidu Eye was first announced in April 2013 and report says that initially, it drew many comparisons to Google Glass.
According to reports, back in April, the company evaluated the device to see if it has market potential, according to Kaiser Kuo, Baidu's director of international communications. When the company first confirmed the device's existence to Mashable, it appeared to have a screen. At the time, Kuo, said Baidu Eye featured speech recognition for Mandarin, as well as image search.
At the moment, Baidu has not release any information on pricing or availability of the said device.