Amazon has unveiled a new tool to address the issue for delivery drivers who spend several minutes searching for packages in the vehicle while parked at the location about to make the delivery.
The new solution, called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR), streamlines the cumbersome process that delivery personnel previously had to go through, starting from organizing the packages in the vehicle according to the designated stops on the route and checking the delivery slips. Upon arrival at the destination, they would search and recheck the packages before making the delivery. However, VAPR operates in a simple 1-2-3 format. Delivery personnel only need to look for the green light pointing to the designated package and proceed with the delivery.
When the delivery vehicle arrives at the destination, VAPR projects a green “O” on the package that needs to be delivered and a red “X” on the ones that don’t. It also provides audio cues and displays information on the screen inside the vehicle. The delivery personnel can then simply walk to the rear compartment, retrieve the identified package, and make the delivery.
In a comparative test, the traditional method took delivery personnel approximately 2-5 minutes to complete a delivery, but with VAPR, the process can be completed in less than 1 minute.
Amazon will begin installing VAPR in the first set of 1,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian by early 2025. This marks just the beginning, as Amazon’s delivery fleet consists of over 100,000 vehicles.
TLDR: Amazon introduces VAPR, a new tool for delivery drivers to streamline package retrieval, reducing delivery time and improving efficiency.
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