A new type of glasses can guide delivery personnel precisely to their destinations within buildings, such as indicating turns, and take photos of packages after delivery.
According to Reuters, the online retailer Amazon is developing a new smart glasses model for delivery personnel to speed up delivery times. These glasses can accurately guide them to specific locations within a building, such as turns, and capture photos of packages once delivered.
Illustration of the new smart glasses (AI-generated image) – (Photo: gagadget.com).
Specifically, the new glasses will provide delivery personnel with navigation capabilities at each stop along their route. Information will be displayed on a small screen integrated into the glasses rather than on a smartphone or other handheld device. This will help Amazon employees carry more packages and save delivery time.
Currently, the company is testing the glasses on a limited scale, gathering feedback, and improving the technology before a wider rollout.
If the tests yield positive results, Amazon may expand the use of the glasses to all delivery drivers. So far, Amazon representatives have not commented on the launch date or cost of the device, but preliminary data suggests the glasses will be unveiled in the coming years.
There are still several challenges Amazon faces, including developing a battery with sufficient capacity to last several hours and collecting enough location data for the glasses to guide employees.
Like Meta and Snap, Amazon has previously developed smart glasses for users. In 2019, they launched Echo Frames, smart glasses equipped with the voice assistant Alexa.
Echo Frames do not have a camera or screen but feature built-in microphones and speakers. According to Reuters, Amazon is using this type of glasses as a foundation for their latest version.
Amazon is also planning to incorporate AI technology to help delivery personnel know which packages need to be delivered at specific stops, starting in early 2025.
Custom buttons on the new smart glasses model – (Image taken from Amazon’s clip).
Aiming for “instant” delivery
As of July 2024, Amazon announced that it delivered 5 billion items to Prime members worldwide on the same day or the next day, a 30% increase compared to the same period last year.
In October 2024, Brian Olsavsky, Amazon’s CFO, stated that the company’s quick delivery times make customers more inclined to order affordable everyday items, such as beauty products and non-perishable groceries.
Amazon is also expanding facilities designed for delivery, including orders through Amazon Prime, to be delivered on the same day customers place their orders instead of making them wait until the next day.
