Arizona-based Local Motors, the leading vehicle technology integrator and creator of the world's first 3D-printed cars, introduced in June the first self-driving vehicle to integrate the advanced cognitive computing capabilities of IBM Watson.

Olli is designed to serve as an on-demand means of transportation - using a mobile app, Olli would arrive to pick up passengers. It is the first vehicle to utilize the cloud-based cognitive computing capability of IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT) to analyze and learn from high volumes of transportation data, produced by more than 30 sensors embedded throughout the vehicle.

Passengers will be able to interact conversationally with Olli while traveling to their destination - Olli will tell them how the vehicle works, where they are going, and why Olli is making specific driving decisions. Watson empowers Olli to understand and respond to passengers' questions as they enter the vehicle, including about destinations ("Olli, can you take me downtown?") or specific vehicle functions ("how does this feature work?" or even "are we there yet?").

Passengers are also welcome to ask for recommendations on local destinations such as popular restaurants or historical sites based on analysis of personal preferences. These interactions with Olli are designed to create more pleasant, comfortable, intuitive and interactive experiences for riders as they journey in autonomous vehicles.

Local Motors CEO and co-founder John B. Rogers stated in a press release: "Olli offers a smart, safe and sustainable transportation solution that is long overdue," Rogers said. "Olli with Watson acts as our entry into the world of self-driving vehicles, something we've been quietly working on with our co-creative community for the past year. We are now ready to accelerate the adoption of this technology and apply it to nearly every vehicle in our current portfolio and those in the very near future. I'm thrilled to see what our open community will do with the latest in advanced vehicle technology."

The best thing about Olli is that we don't have to wait for it to ''become a reality'' - Olli is already here and ready to take you on a ride - as soon as the laws allow it, anyway...