Amazon is rolling out cameras that can detect if warehouse workers are following social distancing rules

Amazon is rolling out cameras in its warehouses that issue an alert when workers aren’t properly following social distancing guidelines, the company announced Tuesday.

The camera systems, which Amazon refers to as “Distance Assistants,” provide employees with real-time feedback on social distancing as they walk through a warehouse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises keeping six feet away from another person when possible.

A camera is hooked up to a 50-inch monitor and a local computing device, which is equipped with software developed by Amazon. The software uses machine learning models to differentiate humans from their surroundings, as well as depth sensors to measure the approximate distance between workers.

As employees walk past the camera, circles overlaid on the monitor indicate whether they’re maintaining proper distancing. If an employee is following the rules, the circle appears green and if they’re too close to another person, the circle flashes red. It’s unclear if Amazon will take further action once an employee is flagged as violating distancing rules.

The camera systems are meant to be placed in high-traffic areas, such as walkways on warehouse floors, as well as entrances and exits to facilities. Amazon is also making the software open source, so that other companies can use the technology in their facilities.

So far, the technology has been implemented at a “handful” of warehouses, but Amazon expects to roll it out to hundreds of facilities within weeks, said Brad Porter, a distinguished engineer and vice president of Amazon Robotics, in a blog post.

“We’ve heard that employees find value in getting immediate visual feedback, and site leaders are welcoming another safety measure,” Porter said. “Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our employees and we’ll continue to innovate to keep them as safe as possible.”