Local Motors selects Ouster lidar for its next-generation autonomous shuttles

Ouster, a provider of high-resolution digital lidar sensors, has signed a strategic customer agreement with electric autonomous vehicle company, Local Motors.

The agreement includes a binding commitment for over one thousand OS digital lidar sensors through 2023 and a non-binding forecast of over 20,000 sensors through 2025 which will be used to meet production demand for Local Motors’ next-generation shuttles.

Local Motors intends to equip its next-generation 3D printed autonomous shuttles with the full suite of Ouster OS sensors. This includes wide field of view, mid-range, and long-range digital lidar sensors for complete coverage as Local Motors aims to meet demand for Level 3 autonomous vehicles operating on mapped routes within campuses, city centers, and municipalities.

Vikrant Aggarwal, Local Motors CEO, says: “Local Motors selected Ouster as a long-term and strategic lidar partner to drive market share growth for our autonomous electric shuttle, Olli 2.0, due its reliability, affordability, and scalability.

“The Local Motors Olli shuttles have already provided safe, autonomous mobility to thousands of passengers in ten countries around the globe – and with Ouster’s digital lidar, we expect to exceed our current capability while utilizing less lidar sensors overall.

“We believe the upgraded performance that Ouster offers is aligned with our product roadmap and will enable us to take on more complicated operational design domains.”

Angus Pacala, Ouster CEO, says: “I am incredibly excited to partner with Local Motors, one of the largest and fastest growing autonomous shuttle manufacturers in North America, on their next-generation autonomous vehicle.

“Similar to Ouster, Local Motors is committed to rapid innovation and execution in order to bring more performant and sustainable solutions to market, and I look forward to delivering on our production agreement over the coming years.”