HIGHLIGHTS
Multimodal Delivery Cont .
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 ), Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition ( hosted at the NCTCOG ), Airspace Link , Aerialoop , and Clevon to complete this project .
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 .
The first demonstration pilot will be held the week of September 9th . Residents were encouraged to sign up to participate through mailers , the project website , and social media posts . On their assigned delivery day , residents will meet their autonomous delivery vehicle at their residence and receive their groceries and provide feedback on their experience with the technology . Based on the feedback received , the project team will prepare for a second demonstration pilot in the Spring of 2025 .
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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