Olli Takes a Spin in Georgia

If you are taking to the streets in Georgia, you might see an Olli — an autonomous electric shuttle built by Local Motors, a company of LM Industries Group Inc.

Olli is the latest creation of Local Motors, which was founded in 2007 with a belief in open collaboration and co-creation. Local Motors began low vehicle manufacturing of open-source designs using multiple microfactories. Since its inception, Local Motors has debuted the world’s first co-created vehicle, the world’s first 3D-printed car — the Strati, and the world’s first co-created, self-driving, electric vehicle — Olli.

Olli uses LiDAR, radar and optical cameras to “see” in all directions, while its electric drivetrain provides passengers with a quiet ride. Olli can accommodate up to 12 passengers, depending on its seating layout.

Late last year, Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, was the winner of Local Motors’ Atlanta Olli Fleet Challenge, a competition that included municipalities, campuses and districts to propose short-term, local use for Olli. Each entry was evaluated by a local panel of judges, which chose Curiosity Lab, an economic development initiative owned and funded by Peachtree Corners.

Curiosity Lab is a 5G enabled autonomous vehicle and smart city living laboratory located in Peachtree Corners. The centerpiece of Curiosity Lab is a 1.5-mile test and demo track, which provides a real-world environment to explore emerging technologies. Olli began shuttling Peachtree Corner residents and workers throughout Curiosity Lab’s various shops, office buildings and more.

“We are pioneering the development of future mobility solutions, like Olli, and we look forward to providing an opportunity for the local community to experience true connected mobility and learn from this innovation,” said Vikrant Aggarwal, president of Local Motors, late last year.

Local Motors developed its first built-from-scratch microfactory in Knoxville, Tennessee, where it gives customers an inside look at direct digital manufacturing and 3D printing. Its team of engineers are working on new materials and usages specifically for the automotive industry. The company uses low volume manufacturing of open-source design in its multiple microfactories. The goal is to pair classic design with the speed of open innovation to produce more products that work better for customers on a faster timetable and with less capital.

To date, Olli has also hit the streets in multiple other locations around the globe, including in California, Maryland, Ohio, New York and Virginia in the United States, and in Italy, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Source: Southern Automotive Alliance, by Erica Joiner West

The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency markets and recruits business for the 15 counties in the greater Knoxville-Oak Ridge region of East Tennessee. Visit www.eteda.org

 

Published July 31, 2020