Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • Subscribe!
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

Self-Driving, 3D Printed Bus to Hit the Road in U.S.

By Megan Crouse | June 30, 2016

Share

Image credit: Local Motors

Local Motors, the maker of a 3D printed car that it hopes to deliver to the mass market, has now put its first self-driving vehicle on display at the Local Motors Experience Lab in a Maryland shopping mall.

A four-wheeled, app-enabled electric minibus that can fit 12 passengers, the Olli navigates using Internet of Things technology provided by IBM Watson. It still needs some “fine tuning,” according to a report from Computer World, in order for the self-driving technology to truly be ready to be released into the wild.

The self-driving feature is expected to be ready in the fall. Passengers will be able to give verbal directions to the bus, which will drive on the private roads around the National Harbor mall complex. Two more of the vehicles have been ordered by Miami-Dade County for use as public transport in support of conventional transit like public busses. The Olli could be used as connections for low-traffic “last mile” routes such as from a subway or bus stop to an office building.

IBM is also planning to use Ollis to study how Watson and the IoT can be used in self-driving vehicles. Additional routes are planned near Phoenix and at IBM Watson’s IoT AutoLab.

The designer behind Olli is Edgar Sarmiento, a 24-year old Local Motors community member who works at a design agency in his home country of Colombia. Sarmiento submitted his design in Local Motors’ Urban Mobility Challenge, one of the design contests from which Local Motors crowd-sources some of its ideas. He was paid $28,000 for his design.

Included in his plan was an app with which users could hail the vehicle, make payments, or map alternate routes.

The production of the first Olli took two and one-half months including finding suppliers and 3D printing parts, according to an article on Olli from NPR. About 25 percent of the vehicle is made from 3D printed parts.

On the IBM website, Harriett Green, general manager of IBM Watson of Internet of Things, said, “What’s unique about Olli is that it leverages IBM Watson Internet of Things to analyze the massive volume of transportation and rider awareness data from more than 30 sensors embedded throughout the vehicle and provides the interface and platform for interaction between the passengers and Olli. Olli is able to have authentic conversation with riders about how the vehicle works, where they are going, and why Olli is making specific driving choices.”

Olli has not announced the cost of building the Olli nor the retail price of the vehicle, which is targeted to municipalities or fleets.

Ideally, vehicles that respond to voice commands and make intuitive self-driving decisions could be more than just busses that loop around a mall. The riders could ask Olli for directions or for recommendations for places to eat or things to do. It might even be able answer the eternal question: “Are we there yet?”


Filed Under: M2M (machine to machine)

 

Related Articles Read More >

Part 6: IDE and other software for connectivity and IoT design work
Part 4: Edge computing and gateways proliferate for industrial machinery
Part 3: Trends in Ethernet, PoE, IO-Link, HIPERFACE, and single-cable solutions
Machine Learning for Sensors

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Industrial disc pack couplings
  • Pushing performance: Adding functionality to terminal blocks
  • Get to Know Würth Industrial Division
  • Renishaw next-generation FORTiS™ enclosed linear encoders offer enhanced metrology and reliability for machine tools
  • WAGO’s smartDESIGNER Online Provides Seamless Progression for Projects
  • Epoxy Certified for UL 1203 Standard

Design World Podcasts

July 26, 2022
Tech Tuesdays: Sorbothane marks 40 years of shock and vibration innovation
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • Subscribe!
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings