Atlanta is sending lunch underground

The Future. Pipedream Labs wants to reimagine last-mile delivery service with electric-powered, underground pipes that can zip food and other packages across cities. Its adoption could not only cut down on traffic congestion and vehicle emissions but also create a pipeline (pun intended) where deliveries and returns can happen almost automatically.

Tube of tuna
One day, you’ll be able to have a bag of Doritos piped to you directly as if you were living in The Jetsons.

• Pipedream Labs’ proprietary pipes are an update on the old concept of the pneumatic tube — a once-prevalent way of sending mail, packages, and the occasional sick cat.
• Instead of pushing shipments using air, the 18-inch-wide pipes are outfitted with a small EV that can shuttle up to 40 pounds at a speed of 45 mph.
• The pilot in the city of Peachtree Corners connects a shopping center with a technology park called Curiosity Lab almost a mile away.
• Buried just six feet underground, the Peachtree pipe can shuttle food in less than five minutes — a process that’s all controlled by customers via an app.

Brandon Branham, Peachtree’s assistant city manager and chief technology officer, said the hope is that the technology will lower the cost of stocking snacks at the office and allow employees to get their snack on without having to drive off campus (translation: stay at your desk!).

Fun fact: Peachtree Corners loves a good innovation pilot — it was also the first place to test remotely-controlled e-scooters.