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IoT - Jul 8, 2016

What it is: Local Motors, a crowdsourced car-design platform and creator of theworld's first 3D-printed car, has developed the first self-driving "cognitive" vehicle. The 12-passenger vehicle, dubbed Olli, uses IBM's new Watson Internet of Things system to process data from 30+ sensors in the vehicle andenable passengers to interact with the vehicle using natural language. KurzweilAI reports that Olli can discuss topics such as "how thevehicle works, where they are going, and why [the car] is making specific driving decisions." Olli is currently running in Washington, D.C. with launches planned for Miami-Dade County and Las Vegas later this year.

Why it's important: Olli is another example of the power of converging exponential technologies -- in this case, AI, sensors androbotics. This convergence enables "unparalleled, customized experiences for customers, taking advantage of the massive amounts of streaming data from all devices connected to the Internet of Things, including an automobile's myriad sensors and systems," said Harriet Green of IBM Watson Internet of Things. Another benefit: Because Local Motors will produce the car in its micro factories, they're able to make performance tweaks and other improvements every time they build a new Olli vehicle.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield


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