Olli is a talking, electric and self-driving bus which has recently hit the streets of Washington, DC. It has been developed by Local Motors, an Arizona-based automobile technology firm.
The electrically-powered Olli is made from 3D printed parts and can carry 12 passengers. It relies on similar technology that is used on Google’s autonomous cars including a laser-sensing system with 30 sensors, called lidar and a number of cameras. Local Motors teamed up with IBM Watson to make Olli the first bus that has the capability to analyze and learn from transportation data. Olli buses are autonomously controlled by the IBM Watson supercomputer and monitored by humans at all times.
Ride-seekers can use an app similar to Uber when they want to pick them up and drop them off at their destinations of choice. The system will feature user interface so passengers can have “conversations” with Olli and it would answer questions about routes and nearby attractions.
A short video released by Local Motors shows Olli speaking with a curiously British accent and you can hear its funny laugh. In another video the company hinted that in the future Olli could be used as a mobile gym, a café on wheels, or even a meeting room.
Local Motors is planning to manufacture more Olli buses at its new facility in Maryland, and the company starts testing the bus in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Miami, Florida where the mini shuttle could begin operation at university campuses or airports later this year.
Meet Olli, the talking mini bus.
