In Canada and the US, Amazon is testing smart delivery glasses for its drivers designed to enhance the tracking and efficiency of its delivery operations. The wearable technology, which is currently tested by hundreds of drivers, aims to enable a fully hands-free, digitally assisted delivery process.
The glasses provide delivery personnel with real-time package information, navigation prompts, and proof-of-delivery image capture directly within their field of vision, eliminating the need to constantly switch between a handheld device, the parcel, and the surrounding environment.
Powered by computer vision and AI-driven sensing, the glasses feature a real-time heads-up display that automatically activates when a driver parks at a delivery destination. Leveraging Amazon’s proprietary geospatial technology, the system offers contextual hazard alerts and navigational guidance, particularly useful in complex locations such as dense urban areas.
Improving delivery precision and speed
This integration of machine learning and situational awareness marks a significant milestone in tracking key performance indicators such as delivery precision and speed. The company also argues the device ensures work safety for the personnel.
Indeed, this innovation forms part of Amazon’s wider technological ecosystem supporting its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) programme, through which Amazon delegates last-mile delivery operations to third-party contractors in order to manage costs and scale efficiently.
Vest-mounted control unit and swappable battery
The glasses were reportedly developed in close collaboration with hundreds of these third-party delivery partners, whose feedback on comfort, glasses weight distribution, and display clarity informed the final design.
The rolled-out model includes a vest-mounted control unit, a swappable battery to ensure all-day operation, and an emergency button which reportedly provides an immediate access to assistance services. The glasses can also be fitted with prescription or photochromic lenses, improving usability in varying lighting conditions.
New versions of the glasses in the pipeline
Amazon regards this launch as a new step towards a fully integrated, AI-enhanced delivery network. Future iterations are expected to feature defect detection, contextual hazard alerts, adaptive lens technology, and environmental awareness functions. These would include, for example, automatic recognition of potential obstructions or the presence of pets at the delivery areas.
These wearable glasses represent a further advancement in the technologies that Amazon has developed in recent years. These include the vision‑assisted package retrieval in its delivery vans last year, as well as the implementation of 360‑degree camera detection system back in 2023. Previously confined to the vehicle, these systems will now accompany staff throughout the delivery process.
