BY KEVIN SAWYER – The self driving vehicle revolution is on and there is an all out war for talent, apparently. Right now, only the most tech savvy computer and AI robot engineers are getting in on the ground level of this new technology and, possibly, explosive new industry. Most have advanced engineering and programming degrees from such place as Harvard and Carnegie-Mellon. To say nothing of getting experience with Google and NASA.
The major automotive companies, and a string of others developing self driving car technology, are hungry for young minds who can advance this infant technology and industry. So, enter the online education giant, Udacity. For $2,400, you can get a degree in self driving car technology in only 36 weeks. Plus, graduates are pretty much almost guaranteed jobs with many of the major companies pursuing this technology. Currently, there are more than 30 companies working on this technology.
Stanford professor and Udacity founder, Sebastian Thrun
Udacity is being rather selective about the students they accept and expect each applicant to have basic computer programming skills as well as having excelled in, at least, high school level mathematics classes. The students will graduate with a degree in Self Driving Car Engineering. The first class will begin some time after October 3 which is the deadline to apply for the course.
The founder and creator of Udacity, Sebastian Thrun, is a Stanford professor of artificial intelligence who created Google’s self driving vehicle program that is now entering its eighth year. Thrun said of the program that, “This course…addresses the urgent hiring needs of those companies working on this technology.”
The course is split into three 12 week semesters and the training will be intensive in programming, engineering, and mathematics. Programmers and designers will get to actually practice on Udacity’s self driving vehicles. There are still many hurdles to be jumped before self driving vehicles will be allowed on the road and embraced by the public.
Thrun wants the industry to be ready when that time comes as he said, “We’re on the cusp of a revolution where driving will become a service powered and controlled by computers. To make self driving cars, you need a huge amount of people. The war for this talent is on.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Daimler AG / Christophe Testi