Community Invited to Live Demonstration May 8, 2024, of City of Arlington’s Multimodal Delivery Pilot Project
The City of Arlington will host a Multimodal Delivery Showcase on May 8, 2024, to demonstrate autonomous ground robots and uncrewed aircraft systems that will be used to test the delivery of nonperishable food to Arlington residents through an innovative pilot project.
More information about the pilot project, which will run through 2025, will be shared at the public demonstration. The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. outside the Bob Duncan Center at Vandergriff Park, 2800 S. Center St. Vehicle demonstrations will be held throughout the event so participants are welcome to come and go.
The City’s pilot program, designed to test the efficiency and scalability of using autonomous, electric delivery vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while serving residents in need, is funded with the help of a $780,182 U.S. Department of Energy grant. 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.
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.
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 aircraft, a 6-foot-long, battery-powered aircraft 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 delivery vehicle 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.
Anticipated benefits from the project include knowledge that could help scale similar delivery services to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve overall efficiencies in delivery and transportation systems. Lessons learned from this project in Arlington will be shared widely to help other communities seeking similar benefits.
The City of Arlington was among 45 recipients nationwide selected by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office competitive grant program, which provides funding to advance research, development, demonstration, and deployment of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. The total project cost is estimated at $1.6 million, nearly half of which is grant funded. The required local match will come from contributions from all project partners through in-kind staff time and the use of equipment.
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Leverage Technology, Support Youth and Families, City Council District 5
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