KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Are you ready to ride in a self-driving vehicle?

Knoxville is preparing for the future — a future that includes autonomous/self-driving vehicles.

“We have committed publicly to being a testbed for autonomous vehicles”, said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, “Knoxville is a great place for this to happen because, of course, you have Oak Ridge National Lab and the University of Tennessee that are our public sector partners. Also, companies like Local Motors and Gridsmart that are really at the top of their game.”

Based in Knoxville, Gridsmart has jumped to the forefront of traffic camera technology with an eye to the future that includes incorporating self-driving technology.

“The technology is amazing!”, says Gridsmart CEO Bill Malkes.”

“Gridsmart is a big piece of this,” adds Rogero, “They have the technology at the traffic lights and at the corners that can talk to vehicles.”

That includes, according to Malkes, creating a dialogue between the cars you drive now with those of the future.

“One of the things that Gridsmart can do is it will take a vehicle that is not connected, build a model on it, and give that information to the connected vehicle,” said Malkes.

This kind of technology, according to Knoxville Chief Traffic Engineer Jeff Branham, will be needed before self-driving vehicles can call Knoxville streets home.

“We have to have an infrastructure that can sense the traffic that can communicate with a connected user in a proper way,” says Branham, “Giving that user the information they need specifically for what they’re trying to use it for.”

One of the first self-driving vehicles to grace Knoxville roads will be Local Motors’ “Olli”.

The Knoxville factory put the self-driving shuttle on display last year with the goal of having it hit the streets sometime in 2018.

“It is a little 12-seat electric bus, partly 3D printed, that we hope will be rolled out this spring as part of a Visit Knoxville initiative,” says Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “Olli is really designed to do first mile, last mile servitude,” says Local Motors Vice President of Sales Brad Rutherford, ” It’s getting people from the neighborhoods to the main transportation routes to allow public transportation to work more effectively.”

Before Olli hits the roads, however, Knoxville engineers will make sure all safety measures are in place says Chief Traffic Engineer Jeff Branham, ” What we want is to give us a couple of months. Six to eight weeks with Olli to evaluate it.”

“A lot of the technical requirements have to be put together first, and that is what is being worked on now.” adds Rogero.

That plan was reiterated by Local Motors’ Rutherford.

“OlIi’s not just an autonomous shuttle,” he said. “It’s not just an autonomous car. It’s an ecosystem, and it takes everyone working together to make sure it’s managed correctly.”

So, the question is, when can Tennesseans see self-driving cars on the road?

“I believe we’re going to see autonomous vehicles in the next couple of years in the streets of Knoxville,” says Branham.

“The pessimistic version is within 10 years. The optimistic crew says it’s going to happen in the next two. It could happen within the next two,” added Rutherford.