Local Motors signs OEM agreement with autonomous vehicle technology provider Perrone Robotics
Perrone Robotics, Inc. and Local Motors Inc. have signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement. The two companies have agreed to develop next-generation autonomous shuttles that will integrate Perrone’s autonomous vehicle technology into Olli, the shuttle designed and manufactured by Local Motors.
The collaboration brings together two leading innovators in the autonomous vehicle industry. Perrone Robotics holds a Pioneer Patent for its “MAX” General Purpose Robotics Operating System, and with its TONY® solution, the company has perfected a “drop-in any vehicle” retrofit kit approach to autonomy, making it one of the most flexible and adaptable solutions available. Local Motors’ Olli line complements Perrone’s innovation, leveraging 3D printing and agile processes to deliver fully integrated vehicles that evolve at the speed of customer needs.
Under the agreement, the companies will dramatically improve mobility options across the transit and transportation value chain while enhancing the customer and end-user experience. The two companies plan on launching the Olli vehicle with Perrone’s TONY AV technology in the fall of 2021 and, moving forward, Perrone Robotics will now be the strategic software vendor for the Olli® Autonomous Shuttle. With this new collaboration, Perrone will contribute its expertise in AV robotic technology development and deployment and integrate its patented TONY® retrofit kit across Local Motors’ Olli vehicle line to enable deployments across customer use cases on both public and private roads where fully autonomous capability at posted speeds is required. Local Motors will support the integration, testing, deployment and mass production of the Olli vehicle. In addition, both companies will focus on scaled delivery and deployment of Olli vehicles integrated with Perrone’s technology for US and international markets.
“This new OEM agreement is an important step in expanding our current customer base while enhancing the vehicle experience for passengers,” stated Vikrant Aggarwal, President of Local Motors. “Our ability to meet evolving customer needs depends on our ability to work with partners with proven track records and the ability to scale. Our work with Perrone Robotics is another example of Local Motors’ open strategy of evaluating innovations in the market and integrating the best technology into Olli.”
“Local Motors’ Olli vehicle line represents a novel approach to autonomous people movement in a visionary futuristic platform that can be micro-manufactured at scale today,” stated Paul Perrone, Founder and CEO of Perrone Robotics, Inc. “We’re excited to work with Local Motors to provide our fully autonomous AV technology in Olli vehicles direct from the factory. Out of the gate, the new TONY AV-driven Olli offers a reliable full autonomy solution operating at posted roadway speeds in a safety certifiable framework. As we continue to drive innovation and form key relationships like this one with Local Motors, the market will soon realize that Perrone Robotics is the autonomy solution of choice, for vehicle manufacturers, customers and AV passengers.”
