American electronic commerce and cloud computing company Amazon has added two special features to its delivery options to make it faster and more convenient.
These new features allow Amazon couriers to open the front doors of their customers’ homes and put their packages safely inside in their absence.
The service is called Amazon Key, and it relies on a Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and compatible smart lock. The camera is the hub, connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. The camera talks to the lock over Zigbee, a wireless protocol utilized by many smart home devices.
If activated, a courier bearing your delivery can unlock your door with an app, slide the box into your house, and then close and re-lock the door. Although this will certainly spark privacy concerns, Amazon promises that it has trained its drivers to avoid actually entering homes. Customers will also be notified throughout deliveries, and they can check on their house using their Cloud Cam feed.
How it actually works
When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly.
The system works with locks from Yale and Kwikset, two well-known brands. But the other piece, the connected camera, is made by Amazon.
Speaking on the innovation, Vice President, Amazon Devices, Charlie Tritschler said, “Cloud Cam has all the features you need to monitor your home, including a 1080p Full HD camera, night vision, two-way audio, and free storage for clips–and with the secure AWS cloud powering Cloud Cam’s advanced computer algorithms and intelligent alerts, the service is always getting smarter.”
As Amazon describes it, when a delivery driver requests access to the customer’s home:
“Amazon verifies that the correct driver is at the right address, at the intended time, through an encrypted authentication process. Once this process is successfully completed, Amazon Cloud Cam starts recording and the door is then unlocked. No access codes or keys are ever provided to delivery drivers.”
Also commenting on the new features, Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon, said, “Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors.
“Now, Prime members can select in-home delivery and conveniently see their packages being delivered right from their mobile phones.”
Prime customers can start preordering the camera while the Key app and actual delivery service will become available November 8th.
To get started a bundle including camera and smart lock costs $ 250 and it will be available in 37 cities with a need for Prime subscription ($ 100/year) to use Key.
