Uber is looking to shape its self driving car project with former experts from Carnegie Mellon.
The company reportedly managed to defect more than 40 experts from Carnegie Mellon University’s robotics department to work on its autonomous car project.
According to reports, the engineers from National Robotics Engineering Centre (NREC) of Carnegie Mellon University started leaving for Uber back in January.
The National Robotics Engineering Centre is said to have lost third of its staff to Uber, with those ex-employees now working at a facility the car hailing company set up to work on its self driving car project.
Among those who have left the centre to work with Uber are David Stager, who is now working as lead system engineer, and Jean-Sébastien Valois who is now working as senior commercialisation specialist, the Verge reported.
Uber has already revamped a former chocolate factory in Pittsburgh to set up its development centre.
In February, Uber signed a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) which includes the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh, near the CMU campus.
The centre aims to develop technologies, carry out research and development, primarily in the areas of mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology.
Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden then said: "As a global leader in urban transportation, we have the unique opportunity to invest in leading edge technologies to enable the safe and efficient movement of people and things at giant scale.
"This collaboration and the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center represent an important investment in building for the long term of Uber."
