EYE on RETAIL: Amazon rolls with AI
Amazon wants to reduce the time and effort it takes for delivery drivers to locate the correct packages in their vans.
The e-tail giant will deploy a new proprietary AI-powered solution called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) in 1,000 of its Rivian electric delivery vans by early 2025.
Once a van arrives at a delivery location, VAPR will automatically project a green “O” on all packages that will be delivered at that stop and a red “X” on all other packages. Through an audio and visual cue, VAPR will prompt the driver, confirming it has found the right packages, before the driver needs to enter the cargo area.
The technology removes the need for drivers to use a mobile device throughout the process and Amazon robotics identification (AR-ID), a form of computer vision technology originally developed for fulfillment centers, to automatically identify items during inventory stow or pick operations.
As it processes its surroundings, it can locate and decipher multiple barcodes in real time. VAPR was built by training machine learning models to recognize different labels and packages, in various lighting conditions and package characteristics.
Amazon also optimized the technology, which includes Amazon Web Services machine learning and AI solutions, for an in-van environment and paired it with specially designed automotive light projectors and cameras, all integrated with the van’s delivery route navigation system.
As a result, the e-tailer says delivery drivers will no longer have to spend time organizing packages by stops, reading labels, or manually checking identifiers like a customer’s name or address to ensure they have the right packages. Instead they will look for VAPR’s green light, grab highlighted products, and go.
“We had to think about factors that are unique to the delivery experience, such as lighting and space constraints inside vans,” said John Colucci, product manager, Amazon Transportation, in a corporate blog post.
Based on early tests of VAPR, Amazon says it saw a 67% reduction in perceived physical and mental effort for drivers and more than 30 minutes saved per route.
Amazon began rolling out Rivian electric delivery vans in the U.S. in the summer of 2022 and has more than 5,000 on the road, with a commitment to having 100,000 on the road by 2030.
The Rivian investment, first announced in 2019, is part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge to be net zero carbon across its entire business by 2040. The company has also brought the custom vans to Europe, joining a fleet of thousands of electric vans already in operation in Europe.
Amazon’s custom electric vehicles are made at Rivian’s factory in Illinois, with a design focused on 360-degree visibility and protecting drivers and pedestrians. Safety features include sensor detection, a large windshield to enhance driver visibility, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and collision warnings.
In addition, Amazon said the vehicles have first-of-its-kind embedded technology that fully integrates the delivery workflow with the vehicle, enabling seamless access to routing, navigation, driver support and more.
This article first appeared in Chain Store Age, a sister publication of HBSDealer.
