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 between two and four weeks 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 timeline below depicts the proposed project schedule. A showcase event featuring a community workshop will be held on May 8th from 5:30 – 7:00 PM at Vandergriff Park to see the innovative delivery vehicles in action and provide an opportunity for the public more about the project. Please see the Community calendar for more details. The first demonstration will be conducted in Fall 2024 and a second demonstration will be held in Spring 2025.Final findings of the project reported in the Fall of 2024.
