3D-Printed Bus To Give Free Rides; Driverless, Electric, And Recyclable

Making a functional vehicle out of 3D-printed materials has been possible for several years now, but “Local Motors” completely ups the ante with their 3D-printed bus called “Olli.” Its structure isn’t the only thing remarkable about it either since it is also driverless, fully electric, and is recyclable. Additionally, it’s also giving free rides in Washington, D.C.

Tech Radar explains that the bus is powered by the “Watson Internet of Things (IoT) for Automotive” by “IBM Watson.” It’s basically a cognitive learning platform that is specifically made for vehicles.

The platform is meant to take in things like language, habits, and tone when it comes to the command inputs by the driver. So essentially, it could pave the way to a future where driverless, electric, 3D-printed buses will be able to take passengers to their destination by just telling the bus where to go. The vice president of “IBM IoT,” Bret Greenstein explains that their aim is to make their technology verbally-focused.

"We do everything through voice and we translate language and combine it with other data," he said. "We'll try to build as much of the experience and let the vehicle know about you so it can build your experience — favorite restaurant, what dry cleaner you use. There's things you can define in a profile, or things you can learn as you go."

The Verge also spoke with the CEO and co-founder of Local Motors, John B. Rogers, Jr. at the National Harbor facility before Olli started officially giving rides. The facility also housed the company’s Strati, another of its 3D-printed vehicles.

"There is no more connected technology possible than a car, you just have to make it work," he told The Verge. "The Strati is the idea of what does a $5,000 car look like? And an Olli is, what does it mean to share [a car]? The future is full of both.”