Amazon’s reportedly building smart glasses to speed up last-mile delivery
Just a blink away… Amazon’s said to be working on smart glasses to help drivers slash last-mile delivery times. The specs could guide drivers with turn-by-turn directions through a screen on the lenses. Right now Amazon drivers rely on handheld GPS devices, and glasses could help them navigate faster and carry more packages.
Long ETA: The smart specs could take years to develop because the battery needs to last a full eight-hour shift. Plus, Amazon needs to collect tons of navigation data.
Blurry vision: While Amazon’s consumer-focused Echo Frames haven’t seen much success, worker-only glasses could pay off by speeding up deliveries.
From the distribution hub to your door… Companies are racing to achieve faster last-mile delivery — the priciest and most time-consuming part of shipping. It’s also key to staying competitive. Nearly half of shoppers in a recent survey said same-day delivery made them more likely to shop online. The same-day market is expected to grow 20%+ this year, and retailers are looking to innovative tech to stay ahead.
All clear: Last week Amazon got FAA approval to fly its smaller delivery drones in Arizona, including beyond the pilot’s line of sight.
Spot on: In January Walmart expanded its drone-delivery biz to service up to 75% of Dallas-Fort Worth, saying it has the largest drone-delivery footprint of any US retailer.
Every second counts… Half the cost of delivering to a customer's doorstep is within the last mile, some estimates say. Amazon has spent years streamlining its delivery network with its own airline, trucking biz, and warehouses. Yet transportation costs have spiked. Its investment in smart glasses and drones shows how much it’s willing to try to nail that last mile.