Amazon is also experimenting with an AI-driven wearable for its delivery drivers that hopefully will allow the latter to work without their hands in their deliveries.
These specialized smart glasses are fitted with built in navigation, package scanning, and hazard detecting capabilities, which, according to reports, are directly projected into the field of view of the driver as he passes through every stop.
The role played by the smart glasses in transforming the delivery workflow
The smart glasses are made by Amazon for its Delivery Service Partners (DSPs), and their drivers have computer vision and artificial intelligence systems that identify packages, map walk routes, and identify possible risks whilst a driver is free to keep hands-free.
As a delivery van arrives at a stop, the glasses come into action and provide instructions to the driver, they scan the appropriate package in the van, show walking instructions one by one to the door, and send a photo of proof of delivery without the need to tap a smartphone.
The initial test results indicate that some drivers may save up to 30 minutes per shift.
The system has swappable battery packs to enable long working hours and is connected to a small controller on the driver in the vest.
Prescription lenses and daylight detection are also supported in the design to make the display useful even when the light is unclear.
Amazon underlines that the glasses will be optional among drivers, and they will be given free of charge during pilot programs.
According to Amazon, the key functions of the smart glasses include ensuring efficiency and safety and keeping the driver more alert of what is around them rather than being distracted by the handheld gadgets.
The company has been researching the way of using technology to assist with the last 100 yards of delivery, which is the most complicated and time consuming logistics chain stage.
Although full deployment plans are yet to be confirmed, the machine is currently being trialed in hundreds of routes in North America.
In the future, more sophisticated features can be added, like a hazard detection system with automatic calculation of pets or walkway irregularities and enhanced gait in a big apartment complex or corporate campus.
On the operational level, the smart glasses project connects to the larger initiative by Amazon in AI and robotics in logistics.
These glasses are a part of a series of initiatives implemented by Amazon to make the company’s package delivery faster, safer, and smarter, along with robotics systems as well as AI driven tools for warehouse optimization.
In the case of delivery drivers, the hands-free format implies reduction of contacts with the screens, and more attention is paid to the physical environment around.
One of the drivers said he felt like scanning his packages simply by looking at them and, the next second, being provided with directions as opposed to walking back and forth between the van and a handheld computer.
Nevertheless, implementation has its own questions, What is going to be done with driver privacy?
What becomes of the mobile gadgets that are in use now? Will the installation of new hardware be mandatory for all drivers or optional? Amazon claims that the glasses will be optional and privacy settings and safety will be part of the design.
The innovation of AI smart glasses can be used as a differentiator in the logistics race because e-commerce companies increase the demands on delivery amidst accelerated speed.
At this stage, the pilot program of Amazon is an indicator of the potential future of the delivery process, where drivers are equipped with intelligent gadgets, fixate on the direction, and perform their tasks even easier.
