Baidu, is following the footsteps of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and is developing a prototype digital eye-wear which would resemble Google’s Glass. China’s largest search engine will adopt the techniques of image search and facial search recognition from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), according to a Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) spokesman.
One of the spokesmen, Kaiser Kuo of Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU), said that the Baidu Eye is currently undergoing testing, and there is no confirmation on whether the product will ever be sold as a commercial product. The device will be fitted on a headset with a small LCD screen with the help of which the users will be able to make image and voice searches along with performing facial recognition matches.
“What you are doing with your camera, for example, taking a picture of a celebrity and then checking on our database to see if we have a facial image match, you could do the same thing with a wearable visual device,” Kuo said.
For the first time, Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) will enter in the wearable technology, which up till now was the arena of Google. The company will give direct competition to ‘Google Glass’ product with its ‘Baidu Eye’. Google Glass is a pair of Glass, which can display live images and audio along with performing computing tasks. Search engine giant launched a program Google Glass Explorer, which let some early adaptors to test the product from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG).
Kuo further mentioned that Baidu is not clear about launching the product in the commercial market and thus it would be too early to refer to Google as a competitor. He said that the company does experiment with various kind of available technologies related to search and declined to comment on whether Baidu is undertaking any experiment on other forms of wearable technology.
Wearable technology is the newest technology area where many companies are carrying out experiments including Google and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). Companies such as Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will launch their device as they are expecting that users will want to remain connected without being tethered to desktop, laptop or tablet computer
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) though, is not designing an eye-wear but is testing with a device similar to a wristwatch, which would operate on the same platform of iPhone and would be made with curved glass.
