Hillwood has partnered with TruWeather Solutions, the City of Fort Worth and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to gather weather data in North Texas that will eventually make drone delivery and autonomous trucking a reality.
A system of devices will gather comprehensive, low-altitude weather data that will support the safe and reliable growth of next-generation transportation technologies, according to a press release from Hillwood and TruWeather.
In June, Argyle Town Council approved the installation of a TruWeather antenna on a light pole at Unity Park, which would give TruWeather data for its projects and allow Argyle ISD teachers to access the information for educational purposes.
The network will be spread out across AllianceTexas, Hillwood’s 27-000-acre master-planned community in north Fort Worth.
“By hosting our most advanced low-altitude wind sensors at critical locations across AllianceTexas, Hillwood is helping create a data-rich environment that allows us to understand wind patterns better and improve the safety and efficiency of drone and air taxi operations in urban environments,” said Don Berchoff, CEO of TruWeather Solutions. “The collaborative, public-private support we have received has been instrumental in turning the innovative concepts of our Virginia company into an operational reality.”
TruWeather got funding for the project through contracts and help from a NASA Small Business Innovation Research Award, as well as a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which was awarded to the City of Fort Worth.
The network will include road weather sensors, cloud-detection sensors and advancements in laser technology, sensor design and data processing.
Results from the system hope to improve weather data, which would help find ways to decrease risks when automated vehicles travel, park or land to make deliveries.
More than 20 advanced weather and wind sensors will be deployed across AllianceTexas, including at the Fixed Base Operation at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Alliance Gateway 57 and the Alliance Texas Flight Test Center.
“AllianceTexas has long been a proving ground for transportation innovation,” said Christopher Ash, president of Alliance Aviation Companies at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. “By partnering with TruWeather, we will go beyond enabling advanced air mobility. We’re helping define the standards and best practices to guide its nationwide growth, which will aid in the safe, reliable deployment of drone technology and autonomous trucking.”
Researchers will begin reviewing sensor data in August to find ways to make drone delivery more efficient and other ways the weather data could be used. Additional phases of the project will continue through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026.
“We see real-time micro-weather intelligence as essential infrastructure for the future of logistics and mobility,” said Nicholas Konen, director of strategic development at Hillwood. “By working closely with TruWeather and public sector leaders, we’re laying the groundwork to support the scalable deployment of drones and autonomous vehicles across the region.”
