ARLINGTON, Texas — Some Arlington residents will be able to receive food deliveries by drone or four-wheeled robot as part of a pilot program starting this fall.
The city and its partners will deliver an estimated 300 boxes of food to Tarrant Area Food Bank clients in east Arlington using an Aerialoop drone and Clevon autonomous vehicle during the study, according to city officials.
The project, funded by a $780,000 Department of Energy grant and an estimated $820,000 from partners, is meant to help test the viability of autonomous delivery of essentials like food on a larger scale.
The city is partnering with the 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 on the program.
“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’s website reads.
During the first year, city officials say 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 demonstrations.
The first demonstration will be conducted this fall and the second demonstration will be held in the spring of 2025, according to the city's website.
Each demonstration will last between two and four weeks to test the drone and autonomous delivery vehicle technology and performance in delivering packages to homes.
The program's end goal is to produce a final report detailing the findings, lessons learned, recommendations, and more.
Arlington was among 45 recipients nationwide selected by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office competitive grant program. The program seeks to provide funding to advance research, development, demonstration, and deployment of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.
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