Amazon says new technology in vans will help sort packages on the fly and save time

Amazon has revealed new technology that it says will help delivery drivers avoid organizing packages at stops or manually check to see if they have the right parcel for each delivery.

The technology – called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval, or VAPR – is intended to cut down on the time and effort it takes drivers to retrieve packages, Amazon’s retail chief Doug Herrington said at a company event in Nashville on Wednesday.

Amazon expects to put 1,000 delivery vans that contain the technology on the road by early next year.

The company says VAPR essentially works like this: Once an Amazon delivery van arrives at a customer’s location, it will project a green “0” on packages that need to be dropped off, and a red “X” on those that should remain in the van.

The technology will also use audio and visual cues to let drivers know they have found the right package, Amazon said.

The Seattle company has been testing the new feature with its Delivery Service Partners, the businesses that deliver packages across the country for Amazon.

It said early tests have showed the technology helped reduce “perceived physical and mental effort” for drivers and saved them more than 30 minutes per route.