Amazon invents another futuristic technology to optimize its deliveries

© Unsplash/ANIRUDH

Amazon continues to innovate to optimize operations its e-commerce branch. In 2022, for example, we mentioned a technology developed by the company to replace barcodes for item identification, so that this identification can be automated with robots.< strong>This October, the company also unveiled an innovative technology called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval, or VAPR. The technology is powered by artificial intelligence and aims to simplify the tasks of its delivery van drivers.

Normally, these drivers would have to organize packages by stops and scan the identifiers to ensure they deliver the right package to the customer. But thanks to artificial intelligence, they will only have to pick up the package that the VAPR system identifies with a green light. “Once the van arrives at a delivery location, VAPR will automatically project a green “O” on all packages that are delivered to that stop and a red “X” on all other packages. Through an audio and visual signal, VAPR will let the driver know when it has found the right packages, before the driver needs to enter the loading area,”, Amazon explains.

© Amazon

The VAPR system is based on technology that Amazon initially designed for its warehouses and that relies on computer vision. And the interest of this technology is that it avoids manually scanning barcodes, thanks to the identification of packages by artificial intelligence. The new device will be deployed on 1,000 Amazon electric delivery vans, which are manufactured by the company Rivian.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

A significant time saving thanks to AI

According to Amazon, at each stop, identifying packages can take a few minutes. And when the driver has to deliver more than a hundred packages per day, this identification process can be extremely time-consuming. The idea is therefore to save time, thanks to AI and lights that automatically identify the packages that the van driver must deliver during a stop. Amazon also highlights the impact of this technology on the well-being of its drivers. Indeed, early testing reportedly shows a “67% reduction in perceived physical and mental effort for drivers and more than 30 minutes saved per trip.”

Quoted in the press release, one driver who has already tested the technology says that previously, it could take him 2 to 5 minutes to empty a bin and organize packages for the next stops. But with VAPR, this process would now take just one minute.

• Amazon Continues to Improve Operations with Artificial Intelligence
• This October, it presented a system called VAPR that identifies packages to be delivered instead of van drivers
• The AI ​​identifies packages to be delivered for the stop and projects a green light on these packages
• The driver therefore no longer needs to identify or organize the packages in the back of the van

📍 To not miss any Presse-citron news, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.

4.8 M review

[ ]