Amazon is installing AI-powered cameras in its delivery vans to monitor driver behavior

midian182

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A hot potato: Amazon has long faced criticism for pushing its drivers to complete up to 200 deliveries every day, which many claim is an unreasonable demand that can result in tired workers who take risks. Rather than reducing these intense schedules, the company has started using AI-equipped cameras to warn drivers if they’re breaking road rules or engaging in unsafe practices. The footage will also be used by Amazon for evaluation purposes.

The Information reports that the Driveri platform being installed in the vehicles is made by San Diego-based start-up Netradyne. Its cameras use four lenses that film the road, driver, and both sides of the van.

The cameras, which operate 100 percent of the time, don’t record audio and can’t be used to watch drivers in real-time. They feature artificial intelligence that identifies 16 signals based on what's happening around the van and a driver’s actions. Anything illegal, such as failing to stop or speeding, will trigger audio responses, including “No stop detected” and “Please slow down.” Unsafe driving such as braking too hard won't bring audio alerts but will see the footage uploaded to a secure portal for Amazon to examine.

Drivers will only be able to disable the cameras when the ignition is off, allowing them to enjoy breaks without the knowledge an AI is watching them. There’s also a button for recording footage that could prove useful—accidents, road rage, closed delivery locations, etc.

While the cameras don’t offer a live-feed, some signals can prompt Amazon to contact the drivers. CNBC reports that if one is caught yawning, the camera will instruct them to pull over for 15 minutes. If they don’t comply, probably because of all the drops that need to be completed, a driver’s DSP might call asking them to stop for a while.

The uploaded footage will also be used to investigate incidents such as driver collisions and package thefts.

“We are investing in safety across our operations and recently started rolling out industry leading camera-based safety technology across our delivery fleet,” Amazon spokesperson Deborah Bass told CNBC. “This technology will provide drivers real-time alerts to help them stay safe when they are on the road.”

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If you don't like the rules...QUIT! I wouldn't want a camera watching everything I do in a vehicle, no matter what.
 
Since the drivers (90% of the time) back down my driveway, it will be useless. Since they don't film the drivers actual conduct when making the delivery, it will be more useless, and since most deliveries to this part of the world don't even leave their dispatch until after 10 am ...... why bother?
 
200 stops a day isn't really a realistic expectation for these drivers. For them to be able to achieve that sort of goal they would have to cut corners. Probably a lot of corners in fact.

This could be a good thing for the workforce if they are doing the right things the right way then the burden of getting all those deliveries done shifts back to management to come up with a better plan. Which could lead to a better work life balance for them.

Course this is Amazon though so perhaps not...
 
200 stops a day isn't really a realistic expectation for these drivers. For them to be able to achieve that sort of goal they would have to cut corners. Probably a lot of corners in fact.

This could be a good thing for the workforce if they are doing the right things the right way then the burden of getting all those deliveries done shifts back to management to come up with a better plan. Which could lead to a better work life balance for them.

Course this is Amazon though so perhaps not...

For an 8 hour work day that would be a delivery every 2.4 minutes, including driving, bringing the packages to the door and no breaks.
 
Way back when a Navy officer friend of mine was assigned to monitor cargo deliveries. They Navy ships a ton of stuff by both land and sea, lots of it boring regular stuff like office supplies, common parts, food, sailor's household goods being moved between tours, etc. Sprinkled in can be loads that are more exotic, but generally the truck driver would not know, including regular civilian truck drivers who handled a lot of it. This was before live video feeds and AI monitoring by the second, but on trailers with special items, they'd have at least GPS position. Anyway one day one of the drivers decides to go way off route to sleep over at an old girlfriend's. Normally not such a big deal, the downside being maybe chewed out a little, but this time he had a jackpot trailer. My friend says that driver woke up that night to helicopters and FBI agents assigned to locate and recover the trailer...
 
I'm all for it if it stops them from marking my package delivered before it is actually delivered. I have had more than one occasion where my package was delivered a day or more later than the stated delivered date. Something Amazon customer support has assured me as being impossible.
 
I'm all for it if it stops them from marking my package delivered before it is actually delivered. I have had more than one occasion where my package was delivered a day or more later than the stated delivered date. Something Amazon customer support has assured me as being impossible.
That happens to us frequently as well, and amazon refuses to acknowledge that drivers are doing that, or it will show as delivered in the morning and show up late evening. Must be cheaper to have busy customer service lines that it is to hire more drivers.
 
I'll admit I haven't had any issues with Amazon deliveries and I usually find their people quite polite when they call. What does annoy me though is the sheer waste of packaging. I get little things in the manufacture's box, wrapped in plastic, then surrounded in bubble wrap before being placed in a larger box. Yesterday I got a small utility key delivered in huge cardboard envelope that then couldn't be posted through the door and then the packaging needs to be thrown away. If they had to take their old packaging back then perhaps they might think harder about the environment. Sure, we have recycling here in the UK but why generate all that waste in the first place?
 
Im glad I live in a place that doesn't have Amazon trucks yet. Still just local USPS, UPS and FedEx. Not that they dont have their own issues but so far not nearly as many as the losers that Amazon appears to hire on a regular basis.
 
This technology should demonstrate to Amazon just how absurd their requirement of 200 deliveries per day is. If the driver follows all the rules and does everything right, there's no way that they'll get 200 in a day unless they're all in the same building.

As it turns out, Amazon has been illegally screwing their drivers and have been fined for stealing wages!:
or if watching a video isn't an option for you (like if you're at work, like me):
FTC says Amazon took US$62 million in tips from drivers
As far as I'm concerned, Amazon can go suck it with Intel, nVidia and Apple. I swear, Jeff Bezos is such a scumbag that he makes lawyers look good.
 
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