According to the latest report from Reuters, Amazon is developing a smart glasses designed to enhance the delivery efficiency of its couriers. This new augmented reality glasses not only provide step-by-step navigation but also guide couriers through routes within buildings, such as directions after exiting elevators, and alert them to potential dangers like fences at doors or aggressive dogs.
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Although specific details about the device are currently unclear, it is said to feature a small screen to display important information, similar to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. Additionally, the glasses might offer voice navigation, akin to Amazon's existing Echo Frame glasses, and could utilize an integrated camera for taking photos, potentially replacing current handheld scanners.
While each delivery might save only a few seconds, for couriers handling about 300 packages a day, these accumulated seconds could significantly enhance their work efficiency. Against the backdrop of millions of packages delivered globally each day, these small time savings could allow couriers to deliver a few more orders in a day.
The project is currently not public, with Reuters reporting that several anonymous employees have confirmed its existence. It's worth noting that the glasses might require several more years of development, and if they perform poorly in real-world applications or if employees are unwilling to use them, they might ultimately be shelved. Comfort is also a significant consideration, but when ZDNET's senior review editor Kerry Wan tried Meta's latest wearable device, he found it comfortable enough to replace his prescription glasses.
Meanwhile, Amazon has made progress in expanding its drone delivery program, capable of delivering packages to customers within an hour. This demonstrates Amazon's ongoing efforts to optimize the last mile of delivery, aiming to save more time in the delivery process.
Smart glasses have struggled to gain widespread acceptance in the market, so how Amazon will make its product accepted by employees will be a topic worth watching.
Key Points:
🚚 Amazon is developing smart glasses, providing navigation and guidance within buildings.
⏱️ Although each delivery saves only a small amount of time, it significantly impacts the efficiency of couriers.
👓 The smart glasses project is still in development and might take several years to come to market.