Tubular Network is working on the world’s first integrated drone-to-building delivery system that transports packages from rooftop landing zones vertically to lower destination floors using autonomous shuttles in tubular infrastructure.
" The Detroit Smart Parking Lab provides the rare combination of a relevant testing environment where we can showcase a world's-first project like ours to investors and customers, plus the ecosystem connections and hands-on support that robotics startups need. When you're building something as ambitious as a city-wide delivery utility network, DSPL is one of the few partners that can provide everything from grant funding assistance to meaningful industry introductions.”
Ben James
Founder and CEO
Tubular Network solves the “last 100 feet” problem preventing drone deliveries in dense urban areas. While drones can fly miles for deliveries, they struggle getting packages from rooftops into buildings safely and efficiently. Located in Detroit, the heart of the mobility industry, our system is the world’s first multimodal logistics hub. It facilitates parcel transfer from rooftop drone vertaports through our tubular transport network to micro-fulfillment centers, pickup lockers, and curbside kiosks.
What they're doing at the lab
Tubular Network is testing the world’s first drone-to-building delivery system to prove that urban drone logistics can be commercially viable. Our goal is to demonstrate seamless package transfer from the fifth floor (rooftop drone landing zone) to the fourth floor using our autonomous shuttle system. At DSPL, we’re constructing vertical tubular tracks, installing autonomous delivery stations, and conducting live operational testing. The facility provides the ideal multi-story environment to validate our technology’s ability to solve the “last 100 feet” challenge that has prevented drone deliveries in dense urban environments like Detroit.
