While looking for packages in the back of vans only takes a few minutes at each stop for a delivery driver, that time can add up when delivering packages to over a hundred Amazon customers each day.
With Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR), a new AI-powered solution, delivery drivers will no longer have to spend time organizing packages by stops, reading labels, or manually checking key identifiers like a customer’s name or address to ensure they have the right packages. They simply have to look for VAPR’s green light; grab, and go.
The idea of VAPR began at the start of 2020, when a team within Amazon Transportation took the initiative to imagine a world where technology is used as an invisible force to help drivers. “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. A few years later, and thanks to the feedback from drivers piloting the tech, VAPR will be rolled out in 1,000 Amazon electric delivery vans from Rivian by early 2025.
Finding the right packages in seconds
Once the 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 also removes the need for drivers to use a mobile device throughout the process.
"Before, it could take me anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes to empty a tote and organize packages for the next stops. Now, with VAPR, this whole step just takes me about a minute,” said Bobby Garcia, a driver with Bloomfield Logistics, who has been testing VAPR in the North Boston, Massachusetts area. “It’s made my life so much easier.”
An AI-powered assist for drivers
VAPR uses Amazon Robotics Identification (AR-ID), a form of computer vision originally developed for fulfillment centers, to automatically identify items during inventory stow or pick operations. AR-ID replaces the need for manual barcode scanning. 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. The technology was also optimized for an in-van environment, and paired with specially designed automotive light projectors and cameras, all integrated with the van’s delivery route navigation system. VAPR is taking several AWS technologies on the road, including machine-learning platform SageMaker and IoT Greengrass.
Less effort, and time spent retrieving packages
VAPR simplifies the delivery process and enables drivers to focus more deeply on providing a great customer experience—with more accurate deliveries. “VAPR always finds the right packages,” said Stephen Harry, Delivery Service Partner (DSP), owner of Bloomfield Logistics.
The Amazon Transportation team has spent hundreds of hours in the field with DSPs and their drivers to test assumptions, ensuring that these new experiences are adding value. Based on early tests, we saw a 67% reduction in perceived physical and mental effort for drivers and more than 30 minutes saved per route.
With over 390,000 DSP drivers worldwide and more than 100,000 vans in Amazon’s fleet delivering millions of packages every day, VAPR can save drivers time and effort at scale. We’re excited to continue to improve the driver experience, by developing technology solutions and innovations across Amazon’s delivery network.
