Baidu Eye: Google Glass's Chinese response

While the discussion of any details about Google Glass is raging, the impressions of the happy owners are discussed, the details of the disassembly and stuff, for some reason, the news went completely unnoticed (at least I did not find it on Habré) that the Chinese are already developing such a device. In principle, no one doubted this. Celestial, as a copy machine of all the achievements of technology, simply could not pass by the guglochkov. The news that Baidu is developing its own analogue of Google Glass, whose working name is Baidu Eye, appeared as early as April 1. Since the date when the news was published, speaks for itself, director of international relations (director of international communications) of the company Kaiser Kuo (Kaiser Kuo) officially confirmed that this is not a joke.



Today, very little is known about Baidu Eye. If we take the official information, Comrade Kuo stated the following:



“We are really developing something similar in basic functionality to what was described in the report of Sina Tech and other Chinese media. The reports were correct in their essence, but the details were submitted incorrectly (and the reason for these inaccuracies, perhaps, is an April Fool's joke!). The internal name of the project is Baidu Eye. Not sure if the final title will be the same. Now we are doing a little internal testing, from here we will evaluate. Therefore, we did not make public official statements on this issue. ”

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NB: Please forgive me for my low level of English. Translated as I could. For those who know English better than me (I'm sure there are 99% of them here), I quote the original text of the statement:



“It’s not a problem.” It’s not true that it’s not true that it’s not true. The project's internal name is Baidu Eye. Not sure whether that’s not the final name. This evaluates where this goes from here. That's why we didn’t make any public official announcement on this. ”



In addition to this application, there is only one leaked device photo. More precisely - a photo in profile of a certain comrade who has a certain device on his head. Something more to understand from this photo, at least to me, is difficult.



Unofficially.

I will give the general essence of the article from Sina Tech. The full text of the article in Chinese can be found at the link tech.sina.com.cn/i/2013-04-01/20238201671.shtml . Since I do not know Chinese at all, I used the services of a google translate.

So:

As stated after Kaiser Kuo, the project is at the prototype testing stage. The device is attached to the frame points. Currently, Baidu Eye is equipped with an ultra-small LCD screen. Voice control, image recognition technology (including those of individuals) and sound transmission technology through the bones of the skull have been implemented and are already in operation. The company is developing its own voice control system, as well as gesture control. The device will be implemented on a Qualcomm chip. In addition, about iron, it was only mentioned that the camera will be present. Working time is assumed to be about 12 hours.

The article also mentioned the possibility, in perspective, of creating an open platform for third-party developers to create both applications and various headsets (in the text, such words as “watches” and even “necklaces” slipped).



Subjectively.

Taking this opportunity, I will express my personal opinion, which does not pretend to any truth. The main disadvantage of Google Glass, in my opinion, is that they were originally developed as an application to a smartphone. I do not see a separate, independent device in the guglochkah - only an advanced headset. Another, weighty for me, minus, I consider the hard linking of the gadget from Google to the services of Google itself. It feels like without these services the glasses will turn into a useless piece of dead electronics. By the way, the threat of Google to disable glasses for violation of the terms of use by those who have already received their copies, is confirmed by this.

If the Chinese can make a truly autonomous device, which will be enough by itself, then personally my choice is obvious. So, I hope and wish Baidu good luck in this business for the Chinese.