Photo: Amazon
Amazon is reportedly working on smart glasses that give delivery drivers turn-by-turn directions and help shave seconds off their delivery time. Codenamed "Amelia," the smart glasses are based on the existing Echo Frames platform. However, they will feature an embedded display for more precise directions, including telling them where to turn when they enter a building. Reuters cited anonymous sources from Amazon saying that the project is part of Amazon's efforts to boost the efficiency in the last 100 yards of a delivery.
Amazon is also supposedly exploring adding camera capabilities using the embedded screen so drivers can take photos of the packages as proof. This feature should theoretically allow drivers to carry more packages and continue their tasks since the glasses are hands-free.
We might not see these Echo Frames for a while since adding these technologies poses engineering challenges. The company is also supposedly having issues creating glasses with a battery capable of lasting a full eight-hour shift while being light enough to wear all day. Another problem is that people with corrective lenses might have trouble using these smart glasses since they haven't been able to accommodate every prescription. As The Verge pointed out, it might also be difficult for Amazon to convince its fleet of drivers—many are third-party contractors—to adopt the technology. Plus, it might take years for Amazon to gather enough data on the last 100 years to bring this vision to life.
But whether this launches soon or not, we might see some of these technologies, like the embedded screen appear sometime in the second quarter of 2026.