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Baidu, China's leading search engine company, has unveiled its own eyewear called Baidu Eye, but said it is a different product from Google Glass in terms of functionality.
The company demonstrated a working prototype on September 3 at its annual Technology Innovation Conference in Beijing.
Baidu Eye bears a resemblance to Google Glass, but it has no screen. Instead, the device uses a camera to scan objects, and focuses on analyzing information around its user and beaming that to a smartphone.
Baidu says the device is designed to support image search. The company's CEO Robin Li believes in five years' time, people will get used to searching by image and audio rather than text.
Li has given an example of how one can take advantage of Baidu Eye, "If you are in a shopping mall and come across a woman whose skirt looks really attractive, you take a photo of her skirt using Baidu Eye, and you'll get to know where to buy one for yourself."
According to Kaiser Kuo, Baidu's director of international communications, Baidu Eye can also recognize voice and gesture, "You can use voice commands, or gesture commands - like expanding to zoom, or circling an object in your field of view with your finger."
Baidu is yet to announce a release date or marketing plans for Baidu Eye.
