The future of food delivery in Arlington is taking to the skies and hitting the sidewalks without leaving a carbon footprint, thanks to a hefty grant earmarked for an environmentally friendly delivery system. To ease the challenge of getting food to the disadvantaged, the City of Arlington is deploying drones and robots as a solution, a move fueled by a $780,182 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which seeks to curb emissions from the traditional vehicles that often sit idling during drop-offs, according to the City of Arlington, Texas.
Spearheading the charge are Arlington's partners, which include notables like Tarrant Area Food Bank, the University of Texas at Arlington, and robot-wielding Clevon. The collaboration is paving the way for the Multimodal Delivery Project—a two-year venture aiming to assess the plausibility of using emission-nixing autonomous vehicles to serve those in dire need of basic sustenance who also experience mobility hardships, lack access to reliable transportation options, or live life under the harsh gaze of historical disadvantage.
Supported by industry experts, the project is set to roll out about 300 food boxes to clients in East Arlington, announced Alicia Winkelblech, Arlington’s transportation director, stating, "As a national leader in innovative transportation solutions, we are honored to partner with these autonomous delivery vehicle industry experts and other community leaders to research and share whether this technology is a viable way to serve the public while reducing greenhouse gases," per the City of Arlington, Texas.
The delivery drones from Aerialoop and the Clevon autonomous robots are not your run-of-the-mill tech toys; these marvels come packing cargo space for food essentials and are programmed to unlock with a simple code for the recipient—talk about doorstep delivery minus the carbon footprint! In line with this approach, Meelis Anton, COO of Clevon, expressed excitement over the union of technological innovation with ecological mindfulness saying, “It's inspiring to see our technology help bring essential goods to those in need, while also caring for the environment", as per the City of Arlington, Texas.
In the wake of overwhelming need surfacing during COVID's harshest days, Stephen Raeside, Chief External Affairs Officer at Tarrant Area Food Bank recounted, “We worked very closely with the City of Arlington during COVID, a time we both innovated quickly to meet soaring hunger in the city”. Raeside detailed that the past large-scale emergency distributions at local sports stadiums spurred the food bank to re-evaluate and gear up to integrate cutting-edge tech, to remain adaptable and responsive to Arlington families grappling with hunger, a candid reflection shared by the City of Arlington, Texas.
