Robotic Research has been granted a permit to operate an Olli shuttle

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has granted Robotic Research permission to operate Local Motors’ autonomous shuttle Olli in Maryland’s Montgomery County.

Based in Clarksburg, Maryland, Robotic Research provides robotic technology for commercial and government autonomous operations. Olli electronic shuttles are driven by the company’s autonomous AutoDrive software and hardware tech.

“We are extremely pleased to have such great support from the state of Maryland and Montgomery County to help advance our research in autonomous vehicle development,” said Alberto Lacaze, president of Robotic Research, in a press release. “This is a great step forward for innovation in the state of Maryland, and is a great example of the kind of leadership in technology the state is committed to supporting in the private sector.”

MDOT granted Robotic Research a highly automated vehicle permit to continue its testing and research of autonomous vehicle capabilities and tech on roads throughout Montgomery County. The Olli shuttle will run between Robotic Research’s Clarksburg office and research campus on Gateway Center Drive. The self-driving vehicles seat 14 people, with a top speed of 25 miles per hour.  There will be a safety operator aboard the shuttle at all times, who will have access to takeover the vehicle’s control if need be.

The company also has a Gaithersburg office, with over 100 employees working across its three office locations.

This announcement comes after MDOT teamed up with Local Motors to operate two Olli shuttles in National Harbor last month.