Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses proved to be a hit with more than 700,000 pairs sold, which is inspiring rivals like Apple to eye the same space.
Now, Amazon is reportedly also designing smart glasses—but not for customers. Instead, the company unlocked a new use case for the tech: faster deliveries.
Related: Mark Zuckerberg Does a Better Job Than His Rivals at Explaining AI — And It’s Helping Meta Outperform Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft
According to a Monday Reuters report, Amazon is making smart glasses for its drivers that could save time and cut down on the overall cost it takes to deliver packages, making the final mile between an order and a shopper’s residence easier to manage. Amazon spent $89.5 billion on shipping costs in 2023, a new high from $83.5 billion the year prior.
The glasses would have an embedded screen that shows delivery drivers step-by-step navigation instructions as they deliver packages in unfamiliar neighborhoods or buildings. It would tell them where they have to turn after getting off an elevator in real-time, for example, without having to hold GPS systems in their hands.
Five sources told Reuters about this secret project, which they said could take “years” to develop. Amazon is reportedly running into challenges making smart glasses with a battery that lasts the full eight hours of a shift without being too bulky to wear.
Amazon Echo Frames as of September 2023. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The glasses would be based on Amazon’s existing $299 Echo Frames, which currently allow customers to call, play music, and talk to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
Each Amazon driver delivers more than 100 packages per eight-hour shift, per Reuters. Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner program employed 390,000 drivers as of September.
Related: Are Apple Smart Glasses in the Works? Apple Is Eyeing Meta’s Ray-Ban Success Story, According to a New Report.
