Amazon is once again rolling out tech to support its workforce – this time, in the form of AI-powered smart glasses called “Amelia.” Designed specifically for its delivery drivers, these glasses aim to boost efficiency and reduce repetitive tasks. Alongside this, Amazon is also introducing advanced robotics systems to enhance its same-day delivery service.
Smart glasses tailored for the road
The Amelia glasses are designed for a specific use case: the delivery driver. Equipped with a camera and built-in display, they pair with a button on a waistcoat that can be pressed to take photos of deliveries. Not only this, but they display essential information directly in the driver’s field of vision, which allows drivers to scan packages, navigate to delivery addresses with step-by-step instructions, and photograph proof-of-delivery – all without needing a smartphone. This streamlines the process and frees up a driver’s valuable delivery time.
Safety was also a key consideration in the design, which incorporated feedback from delivery staff. The glasses use AI and computer vision to detect potential hazards and share that data to benefit future drivers. Importantly, drivers retain control: a button allows them to turn off the camera and sensors if they choose to do so, and the glasses automatically deactivate when they detect the driver is operating a vehicle.
Efficiency gains and future possibilities
Speaking at a launch event in Silicon Valley, Amazon’s Vice President of Transportation, Beryl Tomay, shared that the glasses could create up to 30 minutes in efficiencies per eight-10 hour shift by helping to reduce repetitive tasks and allowing drivers to locate packages more quickly.
Currently, Amelia is available only to Amazon employees, but Tomay hinted that a consumer rollout isn’t off the cards.
Robotics systems accelerate fulfilment
Amazon’s push for speed and synergy between humans and machines continues with its next-generation robotics system, Blue Jay. This system merges three assembly lines into one, coordinating multiple robotic arms to handle picking, stowing, and consolidating tasks simultaneously. The goal is to relieve employees from repetitive physical work, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks like quality control and problem-solving.
Complementing Blue Jay is Project Eluna, an agentic AI model designed to support decision-making. It anticipates bottlenecks and charts efficient paths forward, currently helping optimise sortation at Amazon’s Tennessee fulfilment centre. The company hopes Eluna will eventually assist with preventative safety measures, such as planning ergonomic rotations and improving maintenance schedules.
Ultimately, Project Eluna aims to move operators away from dashboard analysis and toward team training and safety initiatives – while enabling faster, smarter decisions across Amazon’s global operations.
Testing and rollout plans
Both the smart glasses and robotics systems are already in testing. According to Tomay, the glasses are currently being used “at a number of locations with over a dozen delivery service partners … across the country.” The rollout will begin in North America, with plans to expand globally.
Blue Jay is undergoing trials at Amazon’s South Carolina facility, while Project Eluna is active in Tennessee.
