Amazon is testing a new high-tech system designed to make package sorting at delivery stations faster, easier, and less stressful for employees. The company announced the pilot of its Vision Assisted Sort Station (VASS), which uses advanced computer vision and projection technology to help workers quickly identify the right packages for delivery routes.
VASS builds on Amazon’s existing Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) system, currently used in delivery vans. Instead of having employees rely on handheld devices or memory to sort packages, VASS shines visual cues directly onto the packages themselves. A green circle lights up the correct item, while a red shape marks those that should be skipped.
Smarter Sorting on the Floor
Here’s how the system works: when packages arrive at Amazon’s delivery stations from fulfillment centers, they’re placed into a “static buffer zone.” This area holds multiple packages, and VASS highlights the ones that need to be placed into specific destination bags. The bags are brought directly to employees, eliminating the need for them to walk around the station.
“VASS is a powerful example of how we’re innovating at Amazon to make work easier for our teams,” said Chris Harris, Amazon’s director of logistics engineering. “It simplifies decision-making and speeds up the delivery process.”
Results from Early Testing
At Amazon’s Innovation Center in Dortmund, Germany, early trials of VASS have already delivered strong results:
- A noticeable drop in employee mental load, with fewer errors and less reliance on screens.
- A big jump in efficiency, with workers sorting up to 10 packages at once—five times more than with older methods.
- Greater accuracy and flexibility, thanks to decoupling the sorting process from machine-based sequencing.
From Vans to the Warehouse
The VASS system is an evolution of VAPR, Amazon’s in-van tech that helps drivers pick the right packages at each stop. VAPR uses real-time camera analysis and machine learning to scan barcodes, highlight the correct boxes, and even prompt drivers with sound and visuals. In tests, VAPR cut down driver effort by 67% and saved more than 30 minutes per delivery route.
Now, Amazon is adapting that same vision-driven tech to work inside delivery stations. “It’s sophisticated technology under the hood,” said Harris, “but what our employees experience is something simple, intuitive, and genuinely helpful.”
Looking Ahead
VASS is currently in the pilot phase, but Amazon plans to expand the system to some U.S. and European delivery stations by 2027. The company’s logistics team is already developing upgrades that include more powerful computer vision tools.
This is just one of several robotics and AI projects Amazon has launched to streamline operations. From the VAPR system to Vulcan—its new robot with a sense of touch—Amazon continues to push automation to improve both worker safety and delivery speed.
