While Google and Apple are developing self driving vehicles , Nasa has revealed its vision - and its a lot more fun . Called the Modular Robotic Vehicle , or MRV , it was developed at NASA 's Johnson Space Center to show off the technologies that could let man move across other planets . On Earth , however , it also has some neat tricks - from the ability to park sideways to being able to spin on the spot , as well as being driven remotely at up to 70mph . Watch the buggy in action below . Unlike a normal car , the buggy has no mechanical linkages to the propulsion , steering , or brake actuators , the driver of an MRV relies completely on control inputs being converted to electrical signals and then transmitted by wires to the vehicle 's motors . A turn of the steering wheel , for instance , is recorded by sensors and sent to computers at the rear of the vehicle . These computers interpret that signal and instruct motors at one or all four of the wheels to move at the appropriate rate , causing the vehicle to turn as commanded . Nasa says the vehicles was buit 'in order to advance technologies that have applications for future vehicles both in space and on Earth . ' 'With seating for two people , MRV is a fully electric vehicle well-suited for busy urban environments , it says . MRV is driven by four independent wheel modules called e-corners . Each e-corner consists of a redundant steering actuator , a passive trailing arm suspension , an in-wheel propulsion motor , and a motor-driven friction braking system . Each e-corner can be controlled independently and rotated ±180 degrees about its axis . This allows for a suite of driving modes allowing MRV to maneuver unlike any traditional vehicle on the road . In addition to conventional front two wheel steering , the back wheels can also articulate allowing for turning radiuses as tight as zero . The driving mode can be switched so that all four wheels point and move in the same direction achieving an omni-directional , crab-like motion . This makes a maneuver such as parallel parking as easy as driving next to an available spot , stopping , and then operating sideways to slip directly in between two cars . 'This two-seater vehicle was designed to meet the growing challenges and demands of urban transportation , ' said Mason Markee , also with Johnson . 'The MRV would be ideal for daily transportation in an urban environment with a designed top speed of 70 km/hr and range of 100 km of city driving on a single charge of the battery . 'The size and maneuverability of MRV gives it an advantage in navigating and parking in tight quarters . ' With a designed top speed of around 70 km/hr , test driving proved to be a bit of fun . Justin Ridley told an Nasa magazine : 'It 's like driving on ice but having complete control . 'It 's a blast to ride in and even more fun to drive . We 've talked about it being like an amusement park ride . 'The 'fun ' of driving was not something we tried to design for , just something that came out of the design . 'Once we got it running many of us commented that we had no idea it was going to be able to do the things it does . ' 'This work also allowed us to develop some technologies we felt were needed for our future rovers , ' said Ridley . The driver controls MRV with a conventional looking steering wheel and accelerator/brake pedal assembly . The driving mode can be switched so that all four wheels point and move in the same direction - perfect for parallel parking . 'These include redundant by-wire systems , liquid cooling , motor technology , advanced vehicle control algorithms . 'We were able to learn a lot about these and other technologies by building this vehicle . ' The buggy can also be controlled remotely , and in the future Nasa says this system can be expanded to allow for autonomous driving . The driver controls MRV with a conventional looking steering wheel and accelerator/brake pedal assembly . Both of these interfaces were specially designed to mimic the feel of the mechanical/hydraulic systems that people are used to feeling when driving their own cars . The buggy can also be controlled remotely , and in the future Nasa says this system can be expanded to allow for autonomous driving . 'While the vehicle as a whole is designed around operating in an urban environment , the core technologies are advancements used in many of our robotic systems and rovers , ' said Mason . 'Actuators , motor controllers , sensors , batteries , BMS , component cooling , sealing , and software are all examples of technologies that are being devel oped and tested in MRV that will be used in next generation rover systems . 'The technologies developed in MRV have direct application in future manned vehicles undertaking missions on the surface of Earth 's moon , on Mars , or even an asteroid . 'Additionally , MRV provides a platform to learn lessons that could drive the next generation of automobiles .
Modular Robotic Vehicle developed at Johnson Space Center 's NASA . Each wheel can be controlled independently and turn 180 degrees . Shows off the technologies that could let man move across other planets . Could also be used to improve self driving cars on Earth .