STORY: Amazon has a vision for speedier deliveries, and it looks something like this:
Smart eyeglasses for delivery drivers that would provide turn-by-turn navigation on a small embedded screen…
meant to shave valuable seconds off of each delivery.
That’s according to five people familiar with the matter, who say the smart glasses will guide delivery drivers around and within buildings.
Known by the internal code name Amelia, the smart glasses, which are still in development, are intended to look similar to Amazon’s Echo Frames for consumers…
and would rely on a small display on one of the lenses, freeing up drivers from having to use handheld GPS devices.
The project underscores the retail giant’s efforts to reduce delivery costs and support margins as it fights increased competition from Walmart.
By some estimates, half the cost of a product’s trip lies in the last mile of delivery – which requires navigating neighborhoods, deploying more couriers and using more fuel.
The eyewear, however, has potential roadblocks ahead: Amazon has had trouble making a battery that can last a full eight-hour shift and still be light enough to wear all day.
That’s if Amazon can even convince its thousands of drivers to wear the glasses, which may be distracting, unsightly, or potentially interfere with prescription eyewear.
