As self-driving cars become more common, more jobs may grow up around the infrastructure needed to implement them. On Dec. 20, Local Motors and Stantec announced a partnership to develop services for Local Motors’ Olli vehicle, which could be scaled up to encourage the use of self-driving vehicles world-wide.
You might remember the Olli from our article over the summer about the self-driving bus being tested in Maryland. It’s designed to travel on short, pre-planned routes or through an on-demand app Its software can answer questions posed by riders, such as where the vehicle is going or why it made a given decision on the road. It’s specifically designed to assuage any fears passengers have about riding on an automated, free-roaming vehicle.
Stantec’s job is to provide associated services, such as civil engineering, use planning, and oversight. The company currently manages GoMentum Station, a 2,000-acre vehicle testing facility in California, and provides civil engineering for Active-Aurora, Canada’s first connected car test location.
“Stantec brings a wealth of understanding and experience in CAV, and its relationship to the evolving concept of Smart Cities, including first mile/last mile transit,” said Koorosh Olyai, Stantec senior principal, in a press release. “The talented designers at Local Motors have demonstrated their international leadership in automated vehicles … this will undoubtedly be an inspiring collaboration.”
The Olli vehicle is intended to be used in a variety of areas including airports, universities, private campuses, or hospitals, as well as public transportation at the city or state level. Olli was created using design contributions from the Local Motors public co-creation community, now numbering 60,000 people.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
