On Wednesday, China’s largest search engine, Baidu, unveiled its on version of Google Glass. It is called the “Baidu Eye”. Last year when Baidu announced the development of this contraption, most people thought it was a well timed April Fool’s joke. But the device was unveiled at Baidu World, the company’s annual showcase event in Beijing.
The device wraps around your head and includes an earpiece and a camera. The camera can take photos and recognize objects and also analyze information in its surroundings.
According to Baidu Director of International Communications, Kaiser Kuo, in his discussion with TNW, he said that there is no screen on the device because “they found that screens impair vision and tire your eyes easily.” Instead, the device pairs with a smartphone or tablet to provide the kind of functionality that you’d get from a screen. Not including a screen saves on energy which makes the battery last a lot longer and it helps keep the design light and easy to wear.
The Baidu Eye is still in the prototype stage and there is currently no information on pricing or availability.
