Wearable technology startup Halliday has unveiled smart glasses that beam images directly to the wearer’s eyes. At CES Unveiled, the Shenzhen-based company previewed AI-powered eyewear that that projects images directly into eyes instead of onto a lens and is controlled by a smart ring. The “minimal optical module projection technology,” coined DigiWindow, is being called first-of-its-kind. The device has a “proactive AI assistant” that reacts to its environment without being asked. The frames come in matte black or tortoiseshell and have lenses that can accommodate prescriptions.

The DigiWindow module, located in the frame’s upper right, “is the world’s smallest and lightest near-eye display module and can display information to the wearer ‘regardless of whether they have perfect eyesight or require vision correction,’” according to The Verge, which says the projection appears as “a 3.5-inch screen in the upper-right corner of the user’s view with minimal obstruction,” visible even in bright sunlight.

VentureBeat says DigiWindow “discreetly delivers information and AI-enhanced insights directly to the user’s eyes, setting a new standard for what wearable technology can achieve.”

The effect is “invisible to anyone you are conversing with (except at night when you may see a green light), but there is no camera on the device so it doesn’t have the same privacy issue that other smart glasses recording devices have,” VentureBeat adds, noting that the Halliday frames integrate a microphone that lets users interact with the proactive AI agent.

“Like voice assistance such as Siri or Alexa, the user is required to manually launch the Halliday AI application for it to commence listening to conversations but the audio is not permanently recorded,” per VentureBeat. Halliday says that in addition to privacy protections, omitting recording options allows for longer battery life.

Digital Trends calls the absence of a camera “a departure” and notes that in addition to focusing on display rather than image capture, and adding the control ring, Halliday’s product differs from the competition, something also manifested in the “proactive” AI, which can do things like provide assistance in meetings, supplying answers to questions, summarizing key points and generating notes afterwards.

“The AI features require the glasses to be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, according to Halliday, but the company hasn’t mentioned what AI model it uses or if there are additional costs involved,” reports The Verge, noting “features include real-time AI translation in up to 40 languages, live navigation for directions.”

The glasses are expected to be available in March, selling for around $400, initially through a Kickstarter campaign Halliday co-founder Carter Hou tells Digital Trends was more about order management than funding.