WASHINGTON, D.C.—In addition to the mail pouches slung across their shoulders, letter carries may soon be adding a new piece of gear to their wardrobe: Augmented Reality (AR) glasses.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is looking at AR technology—which adds a digital layer of information on top of real world images—as a way to increase efficiency in its supply chain and reduce costs. In a report released April 6, “Seeing the Future: Augmented Reality and the Postal Service,” the USPS Office of Inspector General called AR a “promising new technology which is already helping some large companies increase efficiency.”
According to the report, the USPS has been experimenting with AR for years, but primarily for marketing purposes. However, the report noted, “There may be additional opportunities for the Postal Service to expand its use of AR into its supply chain to improve operational efficiency in several areas.”
The report identified 10 specific ways in which the Postal Service could apply AR in its operations:
Provide more accurate spatial information and assist with visualization when placing processing equipment in a plant.
Direct employees to needed items in a stockroom, reducing employee training and work time.
Direct employees to stored items ready for shipment, as DHL recently piloted with positive results.
Guide letter carriers to pack trucks in a way that maximizes capacity while also protecting fragile items.
Assist postal employees when performing maintenance on unfamiliar or new vehicles by displaying step-by-step instructions.
Provide driving directions to letter carriers, helping them avoid traffic congestion or other hazards.
Provide critical route information to new or substitute carriers about the location of hazards, hard-to-find mailboxes or interior offices.
Confirm the identity of recipients using AR facial recognition technology.
Help customers determine what size box they need.
Allow recipients to estimate when their carrier will arrive.
The report concluded that the Postal Service could use AR technology as a tool at various points along the supply chain. “Implementing this technology could generate greater efficiency and cost savings by reducing employee work hours and minimizing errors,” the USPS said.
“The Postal Service would benefit from exploring these ideas further and experimenting through pilots. A Postal Service AR application could also improve customer service by providing customers with a way to track their mail delivery more closely and providing more efficient, timely service,” according to the USPS.
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