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Olli is a 3D Printed, IBM Watson-Powered, Self-Driving Minibus (phys.org)
An anonymous reader writes from a report via Phys.Org: Arizona-based startup Local Motors unveiled Olli -- a 3D-printed minibus capable of carrying 12 people. It's powered by IBM's supercomputer platform Watson and is designed as an on-demand transportation solution that passengers can summon with a mobile app. The company claims it can be "printed" to specification in "micro factories" in a matter of hours. They say it is ready to go as soon as regulations allow it to hit the streets. While Local Motors has developed the system to control the driving, IBM's Watson system is used to provide the user interface so passengers can have "conversations" with Olli. "Watson is bringing an understanding to the vehicle," said IBM's Bret Greenstein. "If you have someplace you need to be you can say that in your own words. A vehicle that understands human language, where you can walk in and say, 'I'd like to get to work,' that lets you as a passenger relax and enjoy your journey," he said. The vehicle relies on more than 30 sensors and streams of data from IBM's cloud. Olli will be demonstrated in National Harbor, Maryland, over the next few months with additional trials expected in Las Vegas and Miami.
Bingo!!
They need to throw in "drone" and "fuel cell" at least.
It is *not* in any way, shape, or form "3D printed". This is a vehicle built from mass produced materials, with what appears to be an ungly 3D printed trim around the wheel arch.
The glass, the tires, the frame, the motor(s)?, the batteries, the chairs, none of that was 3D printed.
Then why call it a 3D printed bus? It would work perfectly fine without the ugly 3D trim.
Could we PLEASE stop with the 3D printing hype?
NO ONE is 3D printing cars or houses, OK?
The article was very buzzwordy, but said nothing at all about any safety testing. Looking at the thing, my first impression is it might fall apart in a low-speed fender bender.
#DeleteChrome
I know that this isn't what they're referring to... but I immediately had a mental image of a bus controlled by a constantly learning neural net, with each of the passengers being able to reward or punish the network based on its behavior via a smartphone app (which also lets the AI keep track of who is on the bus, and maybe even where they are when they're not on the bus, for "predictive pickup"), and trigger some "destination" input neurons (which everyone would see on their app)
Now, when I say "control", I mean "give directions to a driving program" (Google, etc) on where to turn, where to stop, etc, but not the low-level details. You could have the neutral net itself actually drive, but there's that whole "high likelihood of death to occupants and innocent bystanders" thing. Then again, if it was kept slow, well padded, and constrained from entering an area where it could run into traffic, drive off a cliff, or anything of the sort, such as walkways on a college campus.... but I think the more interesting one would be a version where the bus can go wherever it wants, with a "don't kill people " drive program on board.
I can just imagine the bus starting stalking someone who tends to reward it a lot ;)
Monkeywrench Ex Machina.
We're probably talking just the housings and maybe parts of the chassis. I beat all of the electrics, for a starters, are purchased.
Hate it when I do that.
... a 3D-printed minibus capable of carrying 12 people. It's powered by IBM's supercomputer platform Watson.
I wonder if Watson will ever end up bored and depressed like Marvin, having a brain the size of a planet, but seldom, if ever, given the chance to use it. Perhaps he too will have a small rat friend.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
It is controlled by Watson. What it is powered by, nobody is saying, not even the article.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Just hope it stops for customs and does not think it's just an tollbooth to plow though.
Some people thing self driving cars are the future, but the REAL future is when you ordering an Uber means Olli comes and poops you out a car to use however you like for the day, then it just dissolves and the sewer system routes the remnants back to Olli.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Been saying that for almost two years now: The real future of self-driving cars is not to replace your car in your garage, but to replace taxis and busses. We have everything around it - we have taxis, we have rental cars and car-sharing. A self-driving car is the perfect merger of all of these. Summon when you need it, when you're done no need to search for parking, it just goes its merry way to the next customer or to find parking by itself if it needs to wait for one.
The first company to make this happen will replace Uber before they know what hit them.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
So now they're printing tires, and motors, and batteries (or is it engines and transaxels?), and full up GPS nav systems, and sensors, and Unicorns that piss large panes of automotive glass.
>"While Local Motors has developed the system to control the driving, IBM's Watson system is used to provide the user interface"
So it is NOT powered by Watson. Drat, and all this time, I thought my computer was powered by the firmware in my monitor or mouse...
I'm not going to believe that there are self-driving cars until they can demonstrate that they can pick one up in Los Angeles and plop it down in Denver and have it go on it's merry way. This with all possible weather conditions aside.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Wow, I didn't know that Oliver North was still around. He's one strong dude if he can carry 12 people!