Arrive AI is positioning itself as a key infrastructure player in autonomous delivery after Indiana was selected as a newly designated federal Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) testing site, a move the company says is the first expansion of its kind in more than a decade.
Arrive AI, which is building an autonomous delivery network around its patented, AI-powered Arrive Points, said the federal designation elevates Indiana’s role in next-generation autonomy development, testing, and regulatory validation. The company also pointed to the state’s “Indiana Initiative for Drone Dominance,” describing it as an effort to leverage Indiana’s manufacturing base, controlled airspace, military assets, and research institutions to accelerate real-world deployment.
Founder and CEO Dan O’Toole said the designation is strategically important because Arrive AI is building in Indiana, giving the company proximity to what it views as a national center for testing and validation. The company said being aligned with a federally recognized testing environment could provide earlier visibility into evolving FAA frameworks, stronger integration with autonomy partners, and a smoother path from pilot programs to scaled deployment.
Arrive AI is focused on the delivery endpoint — what it calls the “last inch” of last-mile logistics — arguing that secure, compliant handoff at the final destination remains a bottleneck for broad adoption of drone and autonomous vehicle delivery. While autonomous aircraft and ground vehicles often draw the most attention, the company says the infrastructure layer is what enables safe, secure, and scalable operations, particularly for regulated and high-trust use cases such as healthcare and enterprise delivery.
The company’s Autonomous Last Mile platform is designed to support delivery to and from an AI-powered smart mailbox via drone, ground robot, or traditional courier. Arrive AI said the system includes real-time tracking, logistics alerts, and chain-of-custody controls, and can integrate with smart home devices such as doorbells, lighting, and security systems.
Arrive AI also said the new UAS testing site is expected to draw broader investment and partnerships tied to advanced manufacturing, defense, and next-generation logistics. The company highlighted state assets it believes strengthen Indiana’s autonomy ecosystem, including Camp Atterbury, Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, and Purdue University.
KEY QUOTES:
“This is a meaningful moment for Arrive AI. We’re building autonomous delivery infrastructure in our home state, now officially recognized as a national hub for federal testing and validation. That proximity accelerates learning, execution, and long-term impact.”
“For anyone watching autonomous delivery move from pilots to real deployment, this announcement matters. Autonomy doesn’t scale on vehicles alone. It scales on infrastructure, regulation, and real-world validation. Indiana just strengthened all three.”
“This isn’t about geography. It’s about being embedded where autonomy is transitioning from experimentation to infrastructure, while keeping operational costs and complexity lower by learning in our own backyard.”
“As autonomous vehicles advance, value shifts to infrastructure that enables trust, verification and chain of custody. Every autonomous system ultimately needs a secure place to deliver. That’s the layer Arrive AI is building.”
“We benefit from the acceleration of autonomous systems without the capital intensity or liability of operating aircraft. That positions Arrive AI as essential infrastructure as autonomy scales.”
“For Arrive AI, this is more than regional pride. It reinforces that we’re building long-term infrastructure in a state actively shaping national policy and deployment pathways for autonomous systems.”
Dan O’Toole, Founder and CEO, Arrive AI
