MILPITAS, California: Amazon unveiled new high-tech eyeglasses, robots and AI systems designed to speed up deliveries and streamline warehouse operations, underscoring its push to make shipping faster and more efficient, down to the final few seconds of a delivery.
At its annual “Delivering the Future” logistics event, the company showcased for the first time a set of smart eyeglasses for delivery drivers, internally codenamed Amelia.
The eyewear features a small built-in display that provides turn-by-turn directions, scans package barcodes, and captures photos for proof of delivery. Amazon said the glasses could eventually replace the bulky handheld GPS devices drivers currently use, offering added context such as which way to turn after exiting an elevator or how to avoid a customer’s aggressive dog.
The glasses connect to a small controller in the driver’s vest, and Amazon addressed the challenge of limited battery life by introducing swappable battery packs for continuous use.
The technology is part of Amazon’s broader effort to refine the so-called “last 100 yards”, the costly and complex final stretch of delivery. The company has already introduced tools such as a van scanner that highlights packages with a green light and highly detailed digital maps of neighborhoods and buildings to save drivers seconds per stop.
Wednesday’s event also featured Blue Jay, a new robotic arm designed to collaborate with warehouse workers by picking and sorting items faster and more safely. Amazon said Blue Jay reduces injury risk and operates in smaller spaces than older robotic systems that required multiple stations.
The robot is already in use at a South Carolina warehouse, with plans to expand to other “sub-same-day” sites, facilities focused on deliveries within just a few hours.
Amazon also announced plans to roll out an AI-powered warehouse management system, beginning at a site in Tennessee, to oversee logistics operations, identify bottlenecks and prevent gridlock. The company did not specify how the system would be deployed or who would manage it.
The innovations come as Amazon continues to invest heavily in automation to cut costs and boost speed. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the company’s growing use of warehouse robots could reduce its U.S. hiring by 160,000 workers over the next two years.
Amazon said separately it plans to hire 250,000 temporary workers for the upcoming holiday season.