Amazon Smart Glasses Could Be the Key to Faster Deliveries

 

Amazon is working on developing smart eyeglasses for its delivery drivers to help navigate their routes and buildings more efficiently, with the aim of streamlining the final stretch of the delivery process.

The glasses would feature a small embedded screen that provides turn-by-turn navigation, offering directions as drivers approach specific locations or encounter obstacles like gates or dogs. 

This innovation could help save valuable seconds per delivery and allow drivers to carry more packages by eliminating the need for handheld GPS devices.

The initiative is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to reduce delivery costs and improve its margins as it faces increased competition from Walmart, which is expanding its e-commerce capabilities and offering new incentives for holiday delivery drivers. While the glasses are still in development and may take years to perfect, they reflect Amazon's ongoing efforts to create a more efficient and cost-effective delivery network, which includes its own airline and trucking operations.

The "last mile" of delivery is often the most expensive and complicated, and Amazon is now focusing on improving the "last 100 yards" of the process. The company recently unveiled a scanner for delivery vans that directs drivers to the right packages. The smart glasses would be an extension of Amazon’s Echo Frames, offering a display on one lens and even taking photos of delivered packages for proof. However, challenges remain, including creating a lightweight, long-lasting battery and gathering comprehensive data on every delivery location.

Convincing drivers to wear the glasses could also prove difficult, especially since many already use corrective lenses. However, given that many of Amazon’s delivery drivers are contracted through outside companies, the company could require them to wear the glasses as part of their contract. Despite disappointing sales for its Echo Frames, Amazon plans to integrate the new technology into a future version of the product, which could launch as early as mid-2026.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paraphrasing text from "REUTERS"all rights reserved by the original author.