Udacity Computer Vision Nanodegree Review
There is no doubt that technology has become a foundational element that is used on a daily basis to create efficient ways of solving problems and making life better. One aspect of computer science that is gaining a lot of traction is machine learning, as businesses around the world take to digital practices. Thanks to the power of machine learning, computer vision engineers have a unique way of analyzing and interpreting complex data structures that include movements and distances in space in comparison to surrounding bodies.
These alternative perspectives allow engineers to discover ground-breaking solutions for fields like medicine, defense, and monitoring and manufacturing. Things like precise navigation and self-driving cars used in mapping navigations used for mapping apps and tracking are made possible thanks to those with computer vision skills and innovative thinking. This kind of knowledge is extremely sought after, especially by organizations at the frontlines of today’s technological battles. As you might guess, a strong foundation is crucial in this career, as it needs constant flow of new and updated information.
If you are interested in starting a career in computer vision, the Udacity Computer Vision Nanodegree program could be an excellent fit for you. If you have never heard about Udacity, its Nanodegree courses, or the job title for that matter, this post is meant to give you answers. In this port, we will take an in-depth look at this course and the Udacity academy and help you decide if this online course is right for you. We will end the review by looking at the job market as well as its predicted future based on analysis and statistics
About Udacity and its accreditation
Udacity (read review here) was founded in 2012 by two Sanford University professors. It started off as a platform that offers online learning platform for introductory level computer science courses. Its success came as several players in the tech sector came on board, partnering with the platform to develop online certification programs that equip graduates with adequate knowledge to qualify for entry-level jobs. Now, as you can already imagine, Udacity has grown into full-fledged online learning platform where learner can access a wide range of courses from basic knowledge to advanced computer science concepts and techniques.
Apart from the knowledge you need to succeed in your preferred field, all Udacity Nanodegree programs come with a couple of extras. It is Udacity’s goal to help you succeed in every way possible, perhaps the motivation for these Nanodegree perks:
Mentorship
Udacity mentorship program is available to address any kinds of problems learners might experience during the course. These mentors are dedicated to ensuring that you are on track and motivated to complete your course successfully.
Flexible learning
While the platform offers an estimate of how long they believe you need to take to complete the course, you will have all the time you need to complete the course. You are able to set your learning schedule based on your preference.
Hands-on project
Some of Udacity’s online courses are designed in collaboration with top organizations like Google. These organizations provide the platform with projects and materials that mimic real-life problems that companies encounter during their operations.
Career service
Included at the end of each online course is your spot in the Udacity database. This powerful resource attempts to put successful graduates in contact with potential employers. To prepare learners for their job-hunting process, graduates are taken through a mock interview and helped with their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
Udacity Computer Vision Nanodegree course prerequisites
So what do you need to get started with this online computer vision course from Udacity? Course prerequisites are quite specific and include intermediate familiarity and knowledge with a number of concepts and programs such as:
- Statistics and probabilities
- Python and TensorFlow
- Machine Learning techniques
- Nestled loops
- Pre-written codes
Without these, you might not have the necessary resources to grasp onto the more complex concepts presented in the course. It is a great idea to take a step back and build knowledge before embarking on this or any other online course.
Course instructors
Alongside the extras, Udacity stands out with their incredible team of instructors. The instructors have very impressive track records, with several years of experience working with industry standards. Here are the instructors you will deal with:
Sebastian Thrun
Sebastian is not only the co-founder and president of Udacity but also founder of Google X. His work with Google has had him lead projects such as self-driving cars as well as Google Glass.
Cezanne Camacho
Cezanne is an Electrical Engineer, Genomics Researcher, and Computer Vision expert. Her previous research experience combined with engineering skills would lead her to apply her machine learning techniques to enhance medical diagnostic applications.
Alexis Cook
Alexis is a former research fellow with the National Science Foundation. She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science with a strong focus on applied mathematics.
Juan Delgado
Juan holds a PhD in Biophysics and has worked with NASA helping them to write software that, combined with machine learning, can analyze large amounts of data.
About the Course
Without further ado, let us look at this online computer vision in detail. This online Nanodegree course is broken down into three sections. Each section is filled with information that builds up to the final project that you will need to complete at the end of each section. The three sections are as follows:
Introduction to Computer Vision
Right from the onset, you will work with image processing essentials. You will begin to see the power of deep learning combined with computer vision, starting with image processing, extraction, and import. At the end, you will work on a project that involves facial key point detection.
Advanced Computer Vision and Deep Learning
In this section, you will start to see how deep learning architectures are developed and how they work together to allow automatic image applications. From the knowledge you will gain dealing with RNN and CNN, at the end you will work with automatic image captioning.
Object tracking and localization
In this final section, you will see how you can apply technology to trace and locate objects over time. These are the same techniques applied by those in the field utilize to create self-driving cars, drones, and navigation systems. You will end this section with a hands-on experience project to create and optimize a tracking system that utilizes landmark detection.
Course duration
Udacity estimates that you can complete this online course within three months when dedicating 10 to 15 hours per week to study. However, it is important to note that every learner have their own unique learning style and preference. That said, Udacity prices its courses on per month of access. Thus, it is important that you come up with a learning schedule and stick with it.
Course pricing
Udacity, as already mentioned, charges on per monthly access. This is an attempt to make their courses affordable for potential learners, giving them a few options to choose from. They pricing options include a monthly amount set at $399. The second option comes from the platform’s estimate which is $1200.
Currently, Udacity is running a promotion that comes with 50% discount no matter how you choose to pay. Still, the bundle option is cost-effective, with 15% discount added in. When working which payment option to go for, it is best to take a look at your present schedule, deciding how much time you can commit to the course. Then, come up with a schedule that you can keep up with. This will help you decide whether you can go for the monthly or upfront payment option.
Previous learners’ experience with the course
A great way to learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of anything is to take a look at what previous learners think about this course. This course has an average rating of 4.6/5 based on previous learners’ ratings. Here is what some of them had to say:
“Pretty much all that I needed and even more. The course is very well structured and there almost no cons for the same. But the subscription cost is too damn high. Students in developing countries like India can’t afford this much. The amount you charge for a month is equivalent to an Indian fresher’s one month salary. So, even if a fresher wants to skill up using your platform, they would probably pass. It’s like this platform is just for the privileged, for those who have the pockets to afford such an amount. Even a 50% discount doesn’t seem generous enough to make the course look affordable.” Amit S.
“Everything was the first. I was first exposed to Jupyter, Pytorch, OpenCV, all the image processing theories, Deep Learning and CNN. The learning curve was very steep and I am still trying to understand them and connect the dots among them. Image processing is the essential part of our daily lives and it will be ever more important in the days coming. My curiosity on computer vision is being sated by this course and I hope I can help some animal protection NGOs with the knowledge I have learned. I am really appreciate your efforts to fit everything together to learn the computer vision.” Taesoo C.
“I’ve found the program more challenging than I expected. That’s a good thing. My mentor has been very helpful and generally responds very promptly. I think the online help could be improved. The chat room with other students hasn’t been very helpful. The course materials are pretty good and I like the idea of extra project activities to dig deeper into the topics. It took me so much time to complete the first project that I did not have time to do any of the extra activities. this time.” Toure L.
Job market outlook for computer vision professionals
While this certification can be a great thing to have, it is important to know what awaits you in the job market. Fortunately, computer vision is a very attractive field that a steady job growth. A recent Study analysis showed that the average salary for those with titles related with computer vision was around $118,370. Additionally, the study predicted a 19% job growth in the decade between 2016 and 2026. Certainly, now is a great time to go for the skills necessary to break into this lucrative field.
Final thoughts
So, now you have seen this Udacity computer vision Nanodegree course from multiple angles, equipped with the most important things you need to know before making up your mind. When you sign up for an online course facilitated by Udacity, keep in mind that you are signing up for quality across the board, from the course content, to the tutors, to the projects and more. Those who have successfully completed this online course have something positive to say about it, with most of the complaints only touching on the level of course difficulty.
If it is not for these reasons that you decide to sign up for this course, then it is probably due to the growth and stability that the job market promises to bring. Jumping in and arming yourself with the skills needed to solve technological problems faced by businesses today is the first step to breaking into the computer vision field, and Udacity Computer Vision Nanodegree program is a great place to start. Sign up today and recieve your Covid-19 discount.
Happy learning!
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