---
title: "Udacity Is Building a Self-Driving Car, and They’re Opensourcing It"
description: "Udacity co-founder Sebastian Thrun has announced that the online learning company will be building its own self-driving car, and then opensource everything they develop."
date: "2016-09-21"
modified: "2016-09-21"
authors:
  - name: "Jelor Gallego"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jelor-gallego"
url: "https://futurism.com/udacity-is-building-a-self-driving-car-and-theyre-opensourcing-it"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Self-Driving Vehicles"
tags:
  - "Autonomous vehicles"
  - "Self-driving cars"
  - "udacity"
---

# Udacity Is Building a Self-Driving Car, and They’re Opensourcing It

![udacity self-driving cars autonomous vehicles](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/udacity-self-driving.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Futurism / ET\</em\>*

The self-driving revolution is upon us, with companies inching ever closer to their goal of level four autonomy. Uber just placed [an autonomous taxi service in the streets of Pittsburgh,](<https://futurism.com/breaking-ubers-self-driving-taxis-have-hit-the-streets>) NuTonomy is doing the same thing in Singapore, and Ford plans to sell driverless cars by 2025.

Another player wants to make its own self-driving car, and not for the reason you'd think. Udacity plans to build an autonomous vehicle and [completely open-source the whole design.](<https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/13/udacity-plans-to-build-its-own-open-source-self-driving-car/>) This isn't about charity or generosity, it's about education. The company is working with Didi Chuxing, Mercedes-Benz, Nvidia and Otto to architect a self-driving “nanodegree” program. Udacity offers higher education programs that it creates alongside its partners.

The company wants people to actually build their own self-driving cars, ramping up homegrown self-driving projects. More than just vehicle plans, it will also be releasing driving data and the necessary code.

[The startup](<https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/13/mercedes-benz-partners-with-udacity-on-an-autonomous-driving-nanodegree/>) is the brainchild of Sebastian Thrun, who got the self-driving program over at Google rolling.

![undefined](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/UdacityCarAtTCDisrupt-09122016-7.0.jpg>)
*Udacity*

Udacity wants to fill a need that is currently growing in the tech industry with this degree. Since developing self-driving cars is a relatively new field, there is a noticeable lack of people with the skill set to work on them. It is worth noting that Udacity’s program is not formally accredited. However, there’s a full money-back guarantee, if you don’t find a job.

Thrun actually values people with autonomous vehicle know-how [at $10 million each](<http://www.recode.net/2016/9/17/12943214/sebastian-thrun-self-driving-talent-pool>), based on acquisitions by Uber and GM, of Otto and Cruise, respectively. When companies buy self-driving startups, they don't just buy technology, they're buying talent as well.