Amazon Reportedly Developing Smart Glasses for Faster Deliveries

Amazon drivers might be getting a new tool to speed up order deliveries. Reportedly, the world’s largest online seller is developing smart eyeglasses to help drivers navigate around and within buildings as well as avoid obstacles like gates.

The smart glasses could reduce delivery times by several seconds for each delivery. While that doesn’t seem like a huge time savings, it adds up as Amazon delivers millions of packages daily. The glasses could eliminate the handheld Global Positioning System unit typically used, opening up the possibility for drivers to carry more packages.

“We are continuously innovating to create an even safer and better delivery experience for drivers,” one unnamed Amazon spokesperson told Reuters. “We otherwise don’t comment on our product roadmap.”

According to anonymous sources, a digital screen in one of the lenses can show directions to the driver, utilizing augmented reality technology. Even step-by-step voice directions from Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa could be a possibility. Snapping a picture for proof of package delivery might also be done through a tiny camera in the eyeglass frames.

Last year, Amazon and eyewear company Safilo partnered to create smart glasses for consumers. Integrated with Alexa, the Carrera-branded glasses can play music, receive phone calls, and control smart home devices.   

Amazon Smart Glasses for Drivers Aren’t Quite Ready

Supposedly codenamed “Amelia,” the eyewear tech is being developed internally by Amazon. If successful, the project could save time in the last few minutes of package delivery and potentially help drivers be more efficient.

The last mile of a delivery is purportedly the most expensive, as traversing neighborhoods and wandering through buildings costs more time and fuel. Over 50% of the cost of delivery is spent in the last leg of a package’s journey, according to estimates.

Getting thousands of delivery drivers to wear smart glasses is a significant hurdle Amazon will have to overcome. Drivers may find the glasses uncomfortable, distracting, and even unappealing. Of course, many already wear corrective lenses, so they may be impractical.

While the idea of smart glasses to improve Amazon deliveries is promising, it might take years before the technology is ready. Not only is the embedded screen still not perfected, but battery life is also still too short to cover an eight-hour shift. In addition, detailed address information such as the location of sidewalks, curbs, and driveways is nowhere near complete.