Local Motors has just deployed Olli, a 3D printed, self-driving, electric shuttle, in the Italian city of Turin. The vehicle will be used over a four-month trial period to transport people within the International Training Centre campus of the UN’s International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO). The deployment marks the automated shuttle’s first time in Italy.
To date, Local Motors’ automated shuttle has been deployed in a handful of cities, including various American cities, Berlin, Germany, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia and Holdfast Bay, Australia. Turin, the 3D printed shuttle’s latest base, was selected through Local Motors’ Olli Fleet Challenge, which invited European cities to propose the best short-term urban use case for testing Olli.
From now until the end of May, the self-driving Olli shuttle will be in operation at the ITC-ILO campus, transporting employees and guests across the grounds. The four-month trial is facilitated through a partnership between the City of Turin, ITC-ILO, Reale Mutua and, of course, Local Motors.
From Local Motors’ perspective, the Turin trial will provide valuable data and feedback that will help the company understand how the Olli operates in an urban environment to learn what can be improved.
Turin, and specifically the ITC-ILO, was chosen for a number of reasons. For one, the ITC-ILO has a mandate to improve work conditions for people around the world and seek social justice. With the Olli, Local Motors is showing how work and labor are transforming because of technology. Therefore, bringing Olli to the ITC-ILO presents a unique opportunity to “explore the dynamics of the ‘future of work’” in the context of the ITC-ILO’s mission.
From another angle, the fact that the Olli shuttle is 80% 3D printed is relevant to Turin, which is positing itself as a hub for Industry 4.0 technologies. The city has established a Competence Centre for Industry 4.0 through which it aims to research such areas as 3D printing, AI, mobility and user experience.
Vikrant Aggarwal, President of Local Motors, commented: “This partnership offers an opportunity to enhance the mobility experience to those dedicated to promoting social justice, and we are confident that collaborating with ITC-ILO will demonstrate the benefits of inclusive mobility. We look forward to continuing our work together to improve access to mobility in Turin, greater Italy, and Europe.”
“Since 1964, the International Training Center (ITC-ILO) has had the mission of building decent work conditions and social justice for all,” added Yanguo Liu, Director of the ITC-ILO. “The Olli deployment is an example of how the world of work is changing every day under the pressure of technological, social and environmental innovation factors, and therefore is an excellent opportunity for us to explore the dynamics of the ‘future of work’, the context in which we will be called to continue our mandate.”
Chiara Appendino, the mayor of Turin, also commented on the Olli deployment, saying: “The deployment of Olli, the self-driving shuttle, which begins today, can be seen running along the avenues of the Turin campus of the United Nations. It marks a new success for Turin that— through teamwork involving public institutions, universities and the business world—created the conditions to propose itself as an urban laboratory equipped for testing technologically innovative solutions. This launch is something extremely attractive for companies with a strong social impact and, especially an element that should never be underestimated—particular attention to environmental sustainability.”
