NEW DRONE CONSORTIUM BUILDING A STRONGER ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY ECOSYSTEM AND EXTENDING STATE, INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
WINSTON – SALEM, NC (November 14, 2023 ) NC AeroX, the nonprofit organization building the country’s first operational site for drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), has officially welcomed Arrive, a technology company pioneering smart mailboxes and Mailbox-as-a-Service (MaaS). With autonomous drone deliveries already being flown in the Piedmont Triad region, Arrive will provide local customers with smart, secure, seamless delivery and pickup for people, robots and drones.
Flying BVLOS is the advanced air mobility industry’s next major milestone to reach before true commercialization can scale and realize economic benefit to operators. Current FAA regulations require constant human visual contact during drone flights, severely limiting distance, use cases and profit potential. NC AeroX is building Project ATLAS to be the country’s first BVLOS operational site, comprised of two radar stations, micro-weather data, safety assurance and a monitoring system. It is slated to begin operations in 2024.
“Arrive is thrilled to join NC AeroX and help make BVLOS drone delivery a reality in the U.S.,” said Arrive Chief Strategy Officer Neerav Shah. “We believe breakthroughs from Project ATLAS have the potential to revolutionize autonomous drone logistics and provide customers with even faster, more convenient, and more sustainable delivery options.”
Basil Yap, President of NC AeroX, said, “Arrive gives our ecosystem yet another tool and valuable offering for our flying partners. For the entire logistics mission to be successful, the cargo must be picked up and delivered securely, and Arrive helps solve that problem. When we open Project ATLAS next year, we’ll be one step closer to solving the BVLOS hurdle and providing a critical proving ground for the industry and associated technologies and companies including Arrive.”
Other members of NC AeroX include Atrium Health, Duke Energy, Elizabeth City State University, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Novant and Smith Reynolds Airport.
About AeroX
NC AeroX is a non-profit organization of businesses, government and community partners, headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, focused on facilitating the safe and efficient commercialization of advanced air mobility technologies in the state. NC AeroX received $5 million from the NC State Legislature to fund equipment purchases for Project ATLAS. The organization prioritizes infrastructure buildout, talent development, regulatory impact and ecosystem creation. Learn more: https://ncaerox.com
About Arrive
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Arrive is revolutionizing autonomous last-mile delivery and pickup with its smart and secure mailboxes and Mailbox-as-a-Service platform. The company empowers autonomous logistics to operate more efficiently by leveraging secure and climate-assisted cargo space, smart alerts and chain of custody. Platform apps and APIs make it easy for partners and customers to use its features. Arrive has raised over $9 million from nearly 5,000 investors and forged strategic partnerships with several industry leaders. Learn more: https://arrive.tech.
