i3 - March/April 2018 - 23

Hackett: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

solutions. The arrival of 5G wireless connectivity also is seen as an
invaluable tool in developing hyperlocal services.
Numerous CES speakers recognized the value of smart city development in their own corporate
agendas. For example, Ford CEO
Jim Hackett, in his keynote remarks,
said that his company is focused on
becoming a smart city systems and
mobility provider.
"How do we combine vehicles and
technologies so they become more

than the sum of their parts and redesign the surface transportation systems so that it's designed around
communities?" Hackett pondered.
He says Ford's vision is an open
source, cloud-based, data-driven
infrastructure that can be used by
city planners, architects, technology
companies and citizens to redefine
urban space around a concept called
"The Living Street."
Not surprisingly, much of the CES
smart cities discussion focused on
transportation - most visibly with
the countless driverless vehicles on
display - from Olli public transit
(see sidebar) to TuSimple's longhaul unmanned trucks.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Elaine Chao characterized smart cities as a culmination of "transformative technology." During her CES
on-stage discussion with CTA
President and CEO Gary Shapiro,
Chao cited the major challenge as
"integrating the new technology."
She added, "We need to have the
infrastructure to support that."
Reminding the audience that
infrastructure is President Trump's
"Number one priority for this year,"
Chao explained the goal of finding
out "how we embed transformative
technology in the future infrastructure." She focused on developing
incentives, "but not direct government dollars," to insure "that the
emphasis on emerging technologies
and transformative technologies
will be self-sustaining." Chao said,
"That will be very exciting."

ON SMART CITIES AS A CULMINATION OF
TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY:

"The major challenge is
integrating the new technology.
We need to have the infrastructure
to support that."

C TA . t e c h / i 3

OLLI IS
MORE THAN
A TROLLEY
#AccessibleOlli and its companion OlliStop showcased
the value of self-driving vehicles in smart city settings,
especially for disabled users, at CES 2018. A collaboration between IBM (using its Watson artificial intelligence
capabilities), Local Motors (manufacturer) and the CTA
Foundation, the Olli multi-passenger car attracted throngs
including entertainer Stevie Wonder.
Since Olli's debut
at CES 2017, crowdsourced ideas from
around the world
have enhanced its
capabilities and
paved the way toward more rollouts.
The Olli on display
in January was
a 3D-printed version
of Local Motors' Olli,
enhanced with technologies from more
than 15 partners.
Steve Ewell,
executive director
of the CTA Foundation, calls Olli "an
example of how
consumer technology can better meet
the needs of older
adults and people
with disabilities."
As exhibited, Olli
offered services for
people with visual
impairment, hearing,
physical and cognitive impairments.
Local Motors, which
tested the device
in Las Vegas and

other markets last
year, says that the
first deployment
will take place in
March and that by
year-end, more than
30 Olli's will be
in service "all over
the world."
Ewell says that
the CTA Foundation will continue to
"collect ideas around
ideal experiences
in self-driving
vehicles" of value
to older adults and
people with disabilities. Projects like
Olli are not limited
to smart cities.
The CTA Foundation is working with
the organization
Grantmakers in
Aging to develop
a conference program dealing with
rural transportation,
including ridesharing, self-driving
vehicles and other
infrastructure issues,
Ewell says.

#AccessibleOlli

A collaborative partnership between
Local Motors, the CTA Foundation and IBM
ON COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION:
The crowdsourcing "competition" using #AccessibleOlli resulted in
a number of innovative ideas from startups and global brands alike.

MARCH/APRIL 2018

23
http://www.CTA.tech
i3 - March/April 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - March/April 2018
