Multimodal Delivery Demonstration Project
With the help of a $780,182 U.S. Department of Energy grant, the City of Arlington will conduct an innovative pilot program to test the efficiency and scalability of using autonomous, electric delivery vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while serving residents in need. Arlington is partnering with Tarrant Area Food Bank, the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition (hosted at the NCTCOG), Airspace Link, Aerialoop, and Clevon to implement the Multimodal Delivery Project through 2025. The goal of this two-year study is to test and evaluate the use of no-emission or low-emission uncrewed aircraft and four-wheeled robots that are smaller than cars to deliver essential food items to individuals who are mobility challenged, historically disadvantaged, or lack a reliable means of transportation.
An estimated 300 boxes of food will be delivered to Tarrant Area Food Bank clients living in East Arlington during the study. These deliveries will be made by Aerialoop’s ALT6-4 VTOL Delivery Drone aircraft, a 6-foot-long battery powered drone that can carry nearly nine pounds, and Clevon’s autonomous delivery robot, CLEVON 1, equipped with a spacious cargo bay that clients can unlock with a code to access their delivery. Airspace Link’s AirHub® Portal will be used to provide the data and digital infrastructure needed for planning, decision-making, and operations, including detailed ground and air analysis that will help the aircraft operators determine take-off, landing, and delivery routes. Routes will be developed to avoid flying over residential areas and high-traffic roadways, and onboard sensors will use data only for navigation purposes.
During the first year, the project team will conduct community outreach, determine the locations for the deliveries, develop a concept of operations plan, and conduct the first of two short demonstrations. Each demonstration will last one week to test the uncrewed aircraft and autonomous delivery vehicle technology and performance delivering packages to homes. In the second year of the study, the first demonstration will be analyzed, a second demonstration will be conducted, and final analysis, reporting, and sharing of lessons learned will be completed. The first demonstration was conducted in September 2024 and the second demonstration is planned for Spring 2025.
Demonstration #1 – September 9 -13
The City of Arlington partnered with Tarrant Area Food Bank, the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Airspace Link, Aerialoop, and Clevon to test the delivery of groceries using autonomous electric aircraft and ground vehicles from September 9th to the 13th in East Arlington. 139 food boxes were delivered to residents during the demonstration period. The program partners are currently evaluating the impact of these new technologies on air quality, energy efficiency, and public attitudes. Another demonstration period is planned for Spring 2025.
Demonstration #2 – May 12 – 16, 2025
The City of Arlington is partnering with Tarrant Area Food Bank, the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Airspace Link, Aerialoop, and Mozee to test the delivery of groceries using autonomous electric aircraft and ground vehicles. The program partners will use this opportunity to evaluate the impact of these new technologies on air quality, energy efficiency, and public attitudes toward electric and autonomous vehicles. We need your participation to reach the project goal to deliver 150 food boxes between May 12 -16th. The deadline to sign up for a May Delivery is April 18th, 2025.
Participation Requirements
- Live in the delivery area.
- Be available to receive your food package during the week of May 12-16th. A delivery window will be assigned to you the week of the demonstration.
- Be able to pick up the package from the delivery vehicle at your curb.
Delivery Area
To be eligible for a food delivery, you must live within the delivery area. Generally, the delivery area includes the northeast corner of the UTA campus, downtown Arlington south of Abram Street, and East Arlington between State Highway 360, Pioneer Parkway, Collins Street, and Abram Street excluding Meadowbrook Park.
To be eligible for a food delivery, you must live within the delivery area. Generally, the delivery area includes the northeast corner of the UTA campus, downtown Arlington south of Abram Street, and East Arlington between State Highway 360, Pioneer Parkway, Collins Street, and Abram Street excluding Meadowbrook Park.
Process
- Sign up below to participate in the pilot project or call 817-459-6688.
- Participants will receive further instruction for scheduling their delivery at a convenient time.
- On delivery day, your food box will depart from a mobile pantry location via aircraft and will land at a hub site in your neighborhood.
- At the hub site, the boxes will be loaded onto the ground robot for local delivery to your residence.
- At your specified date and time, be ready to meet your robot and receive your box.
Sign up to participate in the pilot project
Frequently Asked Questions about the Multimodal Delivery Project
For more information or to report drone-related issues, please contact the Arlington Transportation Department.
Noise Concerns - How loud are the vehicles used in this project?
Aircraft and ground robots can produce varying levels of noise, depending on the size, type, and operating conditions. Smaller aircraft tend to be quieter, while larger aircrafts with more powerful motors can be louder. Both vehicles used in this project are fully electric, which makes them quieter. The aircraft used in this project, the Aerialoop ALT6-4, will produce about 60 decibels of noise during take off and landing and only 40 decibels while in flight. The ground robot, the Clevon ARC, only produces about 10 decibels while in operation. Check out this handy chart to compare decibel levels of common objects.
This chart below compares common sound levels using a decibel scale. The threshold of hearing is zero decibels. The Clevon ground robot produces approximately 10 decibels, comparable to the sound of rustling leaves. The Aerialoop aircraft produces approximately 40 decibels in flight, comparable to bird calls, and approximately 60 decibels at takeoff and landing, comparable to an air conditioner unit at 100 feet of distance. In contrast, a power mower and heavy city traffic produce approximately 90 decibels of noise.
Safety Considerations - What are the safety precautions for the air and ground robot operators?
Both the ground and air robots will be monitored by human operators at all times during operations. The aircraft will be guided by a document called the Concept of Operations that ensures the operators and vehicles are following all local, State, and Federal Air Administration regulations and safety precautions. The ground robot will operate at a maximum speed of 15 mph and is equipped with safety sensors that monitor its surroundings and will guide it to a safe stop as necessary.
Safety Considerations - How will the project address theft and porch pirates?
Each delivery will be delivered to participants using the secure Clevon ARC vehicle which features 6 lockers. In order to receive a package, the participant must enter a unique code to unlock their locker. Additionally, the vehicles are equipped with sensors and cameras that provide a 360 degree view that will be monitored by a human operator.
Privacy Concerns - Will the vehicles used in this project pose a privacy risk to residents?
Unmanned vehicles use sensors that can potentially invade privacy if used improperly. The City takes safety and privacy very seriously, and this project will ensure privacy is respected. Aircraft operations will be limited to flying over City property such as parks. Ground robots will operate on residential streets. Sensors onboard both vehicles are used only to monitor for safe operations. Data collected by the sensors will not be retained or used for any purpose outside of safe operations for the grocery deliveries. Additionally, all operations will be conducted within the guidelines of local, State, and Federal regulations and accepted best practices.