Think of some recent tech trends and you might name self-driving cars, 3D printing and artificial intelligence. All three have now been combined in an electric vehicle.
Olli is a 12-seater self-driving minibus that’s Partially Operated by IBM , the artificial intelligence system that famously beat two Jeopardy! champions and has since been used for projects including medical diagnosis.
The good news for those terrified by the idea of machines learning so much they go rogue, the customized Watson tech isn’t taking care of the driving.
Instead it’s taking care of some of the tasks that human drivers and guides would normally do such as engaging in spoken conversations with passengers about the journey, any route decisions, and local landmarks.
Olli is a 12-seater self-driving minibus that’s partially operated by IBM Watson, the artificial intelligence system that famously beat two Jeopardy! champions and has since been used for projects including medical diagnosis.
Unlike the vehicles Local Motors is most famous for, the Olli was not a crowdsourced project. It was developed in-house and uses a mix of 3D-printed, aluminum, and steel parts throughout.
The electric motor moves the Olli up to 25 mph, though Local Motors plans to eventually increase transit speeds. Legally, Olli can only operate on just a few public roads. Because of this, Local Motors is marketing the vehicle to places like university campuses and airports.