Amazon Unveils Smart Eyeglasses to Aid Delivery Drivers
In a bid to improve delivery efficiency and reduce costs, Amazon is developing smart eyeglasses for its drivers to navigate their routes, find specific packages, and access instructions on how to handle each item. The glasses are part of the company's ongoing efforts to optimize its logistics and delivery network.
According to five people familiar with the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the smart glasses will feature a small embedded screen that provides drivers with turn-by-turn navigation and directions at each stop. This would enable drivers to shave valuable seconds off each delivery by avoiding obstacles such as gates or aggressive dogs.
The project aims to free drivers from using handheld Global Positioning System devices, allowing them to carry more packages and increase overall efficiency. Amazon's goal is to reduce costs per package, support margins, and stay ahead of online giant Walmart, which has been cutting prices and offering new incentives to its own delivery drivers.
Amazon has worked extensively on developing its in-house delivery network, including its airline, trucking operation, and suburban warehouses. However, the company recognizes that navigating a customer's doorstep is still one of the most challenging aspects of delivery – known as the "last mile".
The smart glasses are built upon Amazon's existing Echo Frames smart glasses, which allow users to listen to audio and use voice commands from Alexa. The new device will incorporate a small display on one of the lenses, enabling drivers to take photos of delivered packages as proof for customers.
Despite its potential benefits, the technology is still in development, with challenges including creating a battery that can last an entire shift without causing fatigue and gathering comprehensive data on each house and sidewalk. Sales data also indicate disappointment with Amazon's consumer wearable Echo Frames, which have sold fewer than 10,000 units of their latest generation.
If successful, the smart eyeglasses may become a contractual requirement for Amazon's drivers working with outside companies, but this is unclear at present. The project has sparked concerns that drivers might find the glasses uncomfortable or distracting, although Amazon has vowed to continuously innovate and create a safer delivery experience for its employees.
Amazon has not commented on the specifics of the project beyond acknowledging its commitment to innovation and improvement in the delivery field.