Flying Car and Autonomous Flight Engineer

Program overview: Why should I take this program?

• Why should I enroll?

  The emerging generation of flying car engineers will reimagine how we move and transform how we live. The Flying Car Nanodegree program will prepare you to be at the forefront of this technological and societal revolution. In this program, you’ll learn from world-class experts, work with cutting-edge tools, and tackle real-world challenges. You’ll master techniques in planning, controls, and estimation. Most importantly, you will learn by doing, writing aircraft-ready code that you can run on your own drones.

  If you’re interested in flying cars, drones, autonomous systems, and/or the future of smart transportation, this Nanodegree program is for you!

• What jobs will this program prepare me for?

  As a graduate of the world’s first flying car engineering program, you will be prepared for positions pertaining to aerial robotics, autonomy and mobility. Job titles in this industry vary, but include: Unmanned Aircraft Software Engineer, Software and Controls Engineer, Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer, Aerial Roboticist, and more.

  With experience architecting sophisticated yet safe autonomous systems, you will also be prepared for jobs far beyond aerial systems, including: Autonomous Driving Engineer, Autopilot Engineer, Robotics Software Engineer, IoT Engineer, and more.

• How do I know if this program is right for me?

  This Nanodegree program is an advanced specialized program in aerial vehicles—transformational technologies that are reshaping our future and driving amazing new innovations. If you are interested in developing the skills to build an autonomous aircraft system, and excited by the opportunity to port your code to real drones, this is the perfect way to get started.

• What is the difference between the Flying Car Nanodegree program and the Self-Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree program or the Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree program?

  The Flying Car Nanodegree program is a specialized program for aerial vehicles. The focus will be on developing the skills to build an autonomous aircraft system, with a focus on quadrotors. This means a unique emphasis on planning and autonomy for three-dimensional mobility, involving hands-on projects in simulation, with the opportunity to port your code to real drones.

  The Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree program provides an introduction to software and artificial intelligence as applied to robotics. The areas we focus on are perception, localization, path planning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and control. These are taught using the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework. All of the techniques required to complete the projects in the Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree program (including machine learning) are taught as part of the program.

  The Self-Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree program focuses entirely on a specialized application of robotics—it uses robotics concepts and applies them to a self-driving car. If your primary interest is in the application of robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to self-driving cars, then this is the program for you. However, if you want a broader and more comprehensive robotics curriculum, with an emphasis on software engineering, then the Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree program is your best option.

Enrollment and admission

• Do I need to apply? What are the admission criteria?

  There is no application. This Nanodegree program accepts everyone, regardless of experience and specific background.

• What are the prerequisites for enrollment?

  Students should have prior experience with the following:

  • Substantial experience programming in any language
  • Intermediate-level programming experience in Python or willingness to learn
  • Intermediate-level programming experience in C++ or willingness to learn (including knowledge of memory allocation, classes, and references)
  • Basic Linear algebra
  • Calculus (derivatives and integrals)
  • Probability and statistics (mean, variance, and probability distributions)
  • Basic Physics (basic mechanics including knowledge of kinematics, dynamics, and torque)
  • Students will need to be able to communicate fluently and professionally in written and spoken English.

• If I do not meet the requirements to enroll, what should I do?

  We have a number of Nanodegree programs and free courses that can help you prepare, including:

  • Intro to Self-Driving Cars Nanodegree Program
  • Intro to Programming Nanodegree Program
  • Data Analyst Nanodegree Program
  • Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree Program
  • Deep Learning Nanodegree Program
  • Intro to Computer Science
  • Programming Foundations with Python
  • C++ for Programmers
  • Intro to Statistics, Descriptive Statistics and Inferential Statistics
  • Linear Algebra Refresher
  • Intro to Data Science and Data Analysis
  • Intro to Machine Learning
  • Statistics and Probability (Khan Academy)
  • Linear Algebra (Khan Academy)
  • Multivariable Calculus (Khan Academy)

Tuition and term of program

• How is this Nanodegree program structured?

  The Flying Car Nanodegree program is comprised of content and curriculum to support five (5) projects. We estimate that students can complete the program in four (4) months working 10 hours per week. Each project will be reviewed by the Udacity reviewer network. Feedback will be provided and if you do not pass the project, you will be asked to resubmit the project until it passes.

• How long is this Nanodegree program?

  Access to this Nanodegree program runs for the length of time specified above. If you do not graduate within that time period, you will continue learning with month-to-month payments. See the Terms of Use and FAQs for other policies regarding the terms of access to our Nanodegree programs.

• Can I switch my start date? Can I get a refund?

  Please see the Udacity Program FAQs for policies on enrollment in our programs.

• I have graduated from the Flying Car Nanodegree program but I want to keep learning. Where should I go from here?

  Once you have completed the Flying Car Nanodegree program, the Self-Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree program and the Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree program are ideal for continuing your learning.

Software and hardware: What do I need for this program?

• What software and versions will I need in this program?

  For the Flying Car Nanodegree Program, the minimum computational requirements are

  • 4GB RAM
  • Quad-Core i5 processor or equivalent
  • 50GB free HDD space
  • WiFi capability (802.11x)

  We also recommend that you obtain Bitcraze’s Crazyflie STEM drone bundle which you can port your code to, but it is not required.