Skip to main content

Inside the Local Motors lab where 3D-printed autonomous buses are made

Yesterday, Local Motors introduced the Olli, a self-driving, electric 12-seat bus at its new National Harbor location in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside of Washington, DC. Not only is Olli built from 3D-printed components (like the Strati before it), it's also the first vehicle to use IBM Watson’s cognitive learning platform — it'll actually learn about its passengers. The shuttle was designed by crowdsourced contest winner Edgar Sarmiento, and will be offering rides to curious passersby all summer in DC. Pilot programs in other cities are in the works, too.

When we visited Local Motors earlier in the week, we had an opportunity to tour the facility before the Olli's public unveiling. Here are some select photos from our time there.

Local Motors

1/14

The body of the Olli is 3D-printed. Visitors to National Harbor can watch the printing happen in real time.