Amazon is rolling out hi-tech eyeglasses equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to boost driver performance and revolutionize its delivery services. These smart glasses are designed to provide drivers with real-time information and guidance, aiming for faster, more efficient, and safer deliveries.

The AI-powered smart glasses, currently being tested with hundreds of drivers in North America, integrate computer vision and AI to display navigation cues, package information, and potential hazards directly in the driver's field of view. This hands-free system aims to reduce the need for drivers to constantly look down at their smartphones or handheld devices, allowing them to stay focused on the road and their surroundings.

Here's how the glasses work:

• Package Sorting and Scanning: After parking the vehicle, the glasses activate and use AI to identify the packages needed for that stop, highlighting them with virtual green markers. As the driver picks each item, it’s scanned, and a virtual checklist updates in their vision.
• Turn-by-Turn Navigation: The glasses project a digital path onto the ground, guiding the driver along the walkway to the customer's door. This is particularly useful in complex locations such as apartment buildings.
• Proof of Delivery: The glasses prompt the driver to take a photo to confirm the delivery once the package is placed at the doorstep. The driver can then use a chest-mounted device to take the picture.
• Hazard Detection: Future versions of the glasses are expected to detect and notify drivers about potential hazards, such as pets or uneven walkways.

The smart glasses connect to a controller on the driver's vest, which includes operational controls, a swappable battery for all-day use, and an emergency button to call for help. The glasses also support prescription and transition lenses that automatically adjust to different light levels.

Amazon says the design of the glasses was shaped by feedback from hundreds of Delivery Associates to incorporate comfort, clarity, and ease of use. According to Kaleb M., a Delivery Associate from Omaha, Nebraska, who tested the technology, the glasses help drivers keep their "eyes forward" and stay "focused on what's ahead".

Amazon Transportation Vice President Beryl Tomay said the smart glasses reduce the need to manage a phone and a package and help drivers "stay at attention, which enhances their safety". Amazon has seen time savings of 30 minutes for a given shift among testers.

These smart glasses are part of Amazon's broader investment in AI and robotics to improve its delivery network. Other recent innovations include "Blue Jay," a multi-armed robotics system for warehouses, and "Project Eluna," an AI tool to help fulfillment centers operate more efficiently. Amazon has also been deploying AI technology in its electric delivery vans to help drivers quickly find packages.

While Amazon positions these glasses as a breakthrough in safety and efficiency, some experts suggest the technology could raise concerns about data collection, monitoring, and potential surveillance. The same technology that detects hazards could also track how long drivers spend at each stop and how closely they follow delivery protocols.