After reaching a customer’s home, the Amazon delivery driver must find the packages ordered by the customer, which can take several minutes. Usually, finding the package ordered by a customer involves reading the information on the packages in the storage compartment of a van.
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VAPR technology (Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval) from Amazon is designed to speed up the process. It uses artificial intelligence software and cameras to automatically scan package barcodes. Thanks to a projector, a green circle appears on the packages that must be dropped off at a given stop. An audible signal also alerts the driver that they have selected the correct packages. The company emphasizes that this system will avoid the use of hand-held barcode readers which are currently ubiquitous among delivery drivers.
Amazon says VAPR technology has been in the works since early 2020.”We had to think about factors unique to the delivery experience, such as lighting and space constraints inside the vans. Our engineers adapted the AI models that power VAPR technology to the operating conditions of a delivery van, with the algorithms optimized to scan different package types in varying lighting conditions” said John Colucci, head of a global product portfolio IoT Last Mile at the forefront of technology at Amazon.
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“Between 2 and 5 minutes”
The company has been quietly testing VAPR technology by connecting the system to the vehicle’s built-in navigation software in parts of the United States. “It used to take me between 2 and 5 minutes to empty a container and organize the packages for the next stops. Now it only takes me a minute” said a driver who tested it in the Boston, Massachusetts area, reporting saving more than half an hour per delivery route.
The system is expected to be installed in all 1,000 of Amazon’s Rivian electric vans by early next year. The system will also be made available to certain third-party delivery companies that help the e-commerce giant ship goods to its customers.
