Latest news with #Olson
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Autonomous vehicles not far off for B.C. roads, once officials allow them
Self-driving cars aren't something you will find on B.C. streets — last year, the province prohibited the use of fully automated features — but tech optimists promise that autonomous transportation really is just around the corner, after more than a decade of experiments. Autonomous vehicles are on the streets of a growing number of U.S. and United Kingdom cities, and the artificial intelligence behind the technology has 'really turned a corner,' according to Jamie Shotton, chief scientist for the company Wayve. Shotton was on one of two panels that discussed advances in autonomous transportation during the tech conference Web Summit at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Thursday. 'It's like a lightbulb has gone off in the AI's brain,' Shotton said of his company's artificial intelligence-powered system. 'It's now able to really cope with remarkable complexity, and furthermore it allows us to scale really quickly.' This spring, Wayve brought a trio of its test cars to Vancouver during a West Coast road trip to prove how well their 'AI driver' is learning to cope with complex environments. 'The more places we go, the more places we learn to drive, the more general purpose (the AI driver) gets,' Shotton said. Wayve isn't completely driverless yet, however. The Society of Automotive Engineers classifies automated driving in levels from L0, where a driver is in complete control with automated warnings of hazards, all the way to L5, where AI is completely in control. Shotton described Wayve as 'L2-plus,' which means the use of automatic braking, steering and lane centring in adaptive cruise control, with a driver at the wheel. 'Hands off, but eyes on,' he added. 'Having to pay attention to the road, but you can take your hands off the wheel and it will drive you from point A to point B.' That falls within B.C.'s rules, which prohibits automated systems higher than L2. Getting to L4, which allows for cars to be driverless under specific conditions — the technology used in so-called 'robo taxis' such as Waymo — is probably closer than people realize, even in rainy cities such as Vancouver, said Edwin Olson, CEO of the company May Mobility. Olson spoke during a second session on the conference's centre stage, and in an interview explained that, 'Our rule of thumb is, if the windshield wipers are intermittent, you're probably fine.' 'If they're going faster than that, I think most (autonomous vehicle) companies would balk at that.' Technology is rapidly improving though, and Olson expects by 2027, 'We'll be able handle almost all the weather you can throw at us.' The difference in the technology, Olson said, is that a decade ago, the 'hype was well before the technical reality' for autonomous transportation. 'Now, I think it's the other way around,' Olson added. 'Right now, what you're really seeing is an inflection point.' People can travel to cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles or Atlanta and ride either Waymo robo taxis or May Mobility's shuttles, 'and it's real,' Olson said. The next step for a wider rollout of light-duty vehicles will be devising business cases for using what will be expensive vehicles, which will likely rule out strictly personal use. When a reporter asked if he saw a case for individual ownership soon, his answer was, 'God, I hope not.' The philosophy of Olson's company, which runs fleets of L4-capable Toyota Sienna shuttle vans in 19 cities (but only two locations without safety drivers), is to use autonomous vehicles in a way that reduces the need for individual automobile ownership. To date, the business cases for autonomous vehicles has been stronger in industries such as mining or trucking, where the products involved are high value, but where getting enough drivers might be an issue, said Qasar Younis, CEO of the company Applied Intuition, who spoke on the same panel as Olson. For light-duty vehicles, 'it's going to be pure economics,' Olson added. And that will be based on whether vehicles can command enough revenue from ride-hailing services such as Lyft or Uber to pay for the cost of expensive sensors used in the vehicle, before the car wears out. depenner@ B.C. courier company secretly tests driverless vehicle in Metro Vancouver Driverless vehicles: They'll be both disruptive and, eventually, safer
Vancouver Sun
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Vancouver Sun
Autonomous vehicles not far off for B.C. roads, once officials allow them
Self-driving cars aren't something you will find on B.C. streets — last year, the province prohibited the use of fully automated features — but tech optimists promise that autonomous transportation really is just around the corner, after more than a decade of experiments. Autonomous vehicles are on the streets of a growing number of U.S. and United Kingdom cities, and the artificial intelligence behind the technology has 'really turned a corner,' according to Jamie Shotton, chief scientist for the company Wayve. Shotton was on one of two panels that discussed advances in autonomous transportation during the tech conference Web Summit at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Thursday. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It's like a lightbulb has gone off in the AI's brain,' Shotton said of his company's artificial intelligence-powered system. 'It's now able to really cope with remarkable complexity, and furthermore it allows us to scale really quickly.' This spring, Wayve brought a trio of its test cars to Vancouver during a West Coast road trip to prove how well their 'AI driver' is learning to cope with complex environments. 'The more places we go, the more places we learn to drive, the more general purpose (the AI driver) gets,' Shotton said. Wayve isn't completely driverless yet, however. The Society of Automotive Engineers classifies automated driving in levels from L0, where a driver is in complete control with automated warnings of hazards, all the way to L5, where AI is completely in control. Shotton described Wayve as 'L2-plus,' which means the use of automatic braking, steering and lane centring in adaptive cruise control, with a driver at the wheel. 'Hands off, but eyes on,' he added. 'Having to pay attention to the road, but you can take your hands off the wheel and it will drive you from point A to point B.' That falls within B.C.'s rules, which prohibits automated systems higher than L2. Getting to L4, which allows for cars to be driverless under specific conditions — the technology used in so-called 'robo taxis' such as Waymo — is probably closer than people realize, even in rainy cities such as Vancouver, said Edwin Olson, CEO of the company May Mobility. Olson spoke during a second session on the conference's centre stage, and in an interview explained that, 'Our rule of thumb is, if the windshield wipers are intermittent, you're probably fine.' 'If they're going faster than that, I think most (autonomous vehicle) companies would balk at that.' Technology is rapidly improving though, and Olson expects by 2027, 'We'll be able handle almost all the weather you can throw at us.' The difference in the technology, Olson said, is that a decade ago, the 'hype was well before the technical reality' for autonomous transportation. 'Now, I think it's the other way around,' Olson added. 'Right now, what you're really seeing is an inflection point.' People can travel to cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles or Atlanta and ride either Waymo robo taxis or May Mobility's shuttles, 'and it's real,' Olson said. The next step for a wider rollout of light-duty vehicles will be devising business cases for using what will be expensive vehicles, which will likely rule out strictly personal use. When a reporter asked if he saw a case for individual ownership soon, his answer was, 'God, I hope not.' The philosophy of Olson's company, which runs fleets of L4-capable Toyota Sienna shuttle vans in 19 cities (but only two locations without safety drivers), is to use autonomous vehicles in a way that reduces the need for individual automobile ownership. To date, the business cases for autonomous vehicles has been stronger in industries such as mining or trucking, where the products involved are high value, but where getting enough drivers might be an issue, said Qasar Younis, CEO of the company Applied Intuition, who spoke on the same panel as Olson. For light-duty vehicles, 'it's going to be pure economics,' Olson added. And that will be based on whether vehicles can command enough revenue from ride-hailing services such as Lyft or Uber to pay for the cost of expensive sensors used in the vehicle, before the car wears out. depenner@
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Haines City teacher caught smoking meth in Winter Haven park, police say
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — A Haines City High School teacher was arrested after police said they caught him smoking meth after hours in a Winter Haven park. The Winter Haven Police Department said officers were patrolling parks around 10 p.m. Tuesday when they found a red Toyota Prius parked at Lyons Park. Officers said 54-year-old Shane Christopher Olson, a world history teacher at Haines City High School, was found inside the car. Hillsborough assistant state attorney arrested on child porn charges: HCSO Olson told officers he didn't know he was not supposed to be in the park after hours. He said he pulled over to the park to use his phone because 'he didn't want to text and drive.' Officers said Olson also told them that he was smoking something that had been given to him by some friends. Police said they observed the pipe Olson was smoking from and tested its contents. They said the test was positive for the presence of methamphetamine. A white, crystal-like substance and another container inside a black bag with two other pipes were found inside Olson's car, according to Winter Haven police. Invesitgators said all the pipes and containers tested positive for meth. Olson was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia – smoking device. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Republicans choose replacement for North Dakota legislator who resigned
State Rep. Kelby Timmons. (Photo provided by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly) A former North Dakota legislator will take over the seat of Rep. Jeremy Olson, who resigned abruptly after the 2025 session amid a harassment complaint. The District 26 Republicans on Saturday picked Kelby Timmons of Watford City to replace Olson. Timmons served with Olson in the 2023 legislative session after winning a two-year seat in the 2022 election. He lost by 13 votes in the 2024 Republican primary to Roger Maki of Watford City. Olson was the top vote-getter for the two District 26 House seats. Timmons will serve alongside Maki in the 2027 session. The District 26 seats will be up for election again in 2028. Patsy Levang, chair of the District 26 Republicans, said Timmons has a strong track record from his first legislative term. 'He believes in local control and has a strong conservative view,' Levang said. Olson, of Arnegard, resigned May 5. A harassment complaint had been filed against Olson but it was withdrawn after he resigned. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rob McElhenney's wife fumes over Wrexham decision she's ‘still unhappy' about
Rob McElhenney's wife, Kaitlin Olson, has revealed how she was left unhappy over a choice her It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-star made regarding the Welcome to Wrexham documentary Rob McElhenney has been criticised by his wife for deciding to feature their kids in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. The show highlights the journey of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds as co-owners of Wrexham AFC. Since it was first released in August 2022, the series has garnered huge acclaim, attracting global support for the Welsh team on its rapid rise through the leagues. Not only do McElhenney and Reynolds appear in the documentary series, they also serve as executive producers, and have bagged several Emmy awards for it. However, it has now emerged that McElhenney's wife, Kaitlin Olson – who stars alongside him as Deandra Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia – was angered by his decision to include their children in the programme. Olson expressed her frustration over their sons, Axel Lee and Leo Grey, being seen on-screen during a joint interview with McElhenney for Variety. The pair are said to be keen on emulating their parents' success, much to Olson's concern. "We'd talked about not showing their faces," she said. "I remember going through puberty – no kid should be seen publicly before they're ready to. "Everyone's got their insecurities, and it's not their fault that we chose this path and that we're famous. Rob went rogue and put them in a f***ing documentary! I'm still unhappy about that." McElhenney defended his contentious decision, claiming that their children were all for the experience. He said: "The kids love it. I have a different perspective. Millions of people across the world say, 'We love to watch them.'" However, Olson wasn't swayed by his rationale, saying: "I don't care about them – I care about my kids. We're still fighting about it." McElhenney also shed light on his tight-knit relationship with Reynolds, revealing that they frequently exchange WhatsApp messages. Both he and Olson have rallied behind the Deadpool actor and his wife, Blake Lively, amidst their legal tussle with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. "It's just our way of staying connected and navigating something together," McElhenney said. "And also me giving and showing as much support as I possibly can with all the other stuff that he's got going on, that I know is so difficult and challenging. "We both are just trying to offer our support in any way that we can that doesn't just simply add oxygen to the fire." In addition, McElhenney disclosed that he's pondering a name change due to the ongoing confusion over how to pronounce his surname. Despite Reynolds' attempts to clear up the matter with a music video aimed at teaching the correct pronunciation, the problem persists. "As our business and our storytelling is expanding into other regions of the world and other languages in which my name is even harder to pronounce, I'm just going by Rob Mac," he said. The switch hasn't been entirely well-received at home, with Olson saying: "The kids are really not happy about it, because they have that last name, and so do I, legally." McElhenney has openly acknowledged the ups and downs of their marriage but remains optimistic about their future. He said: "The truth is that marriage is really f***ing hard. We've gone through terrible times, and we've gone through wonderful times. "We've hit seemingly rock bottom, and we've hit heights that I couldn't possibly imagine that I would meet with a partner. I'd like to believe that we're going to continue that for the next 40, 50, 60 years together." Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
