Inside The Robotics Lab Where Self-Driving Remote Control Cars Jump And Flip Through The Air

A group of researchers at George Washington University in Washington, DC uses remote control cars outfitted with sensors that enable them to detect their environment and steer themselves through it, all in the name of eventually building a better self-driving car, reports NewsHour.

Gabe Sibley is the director of the university's Autonomous Robotics and Perception Group, and he says that the cars are an effective research tool because "when a grad student destroys ten of them it doesn't cost very much." And it certainly looks like the cars see their share of abuse:

Sibley says he and his team like to work with small autonomous cars because "the science to actually control the vehicle [...] is very difficult," but also because it's fun:

Starting with small analogs like an RC car enables the team to refine its methods and software before making the jump to a full-scale car. The team aims to eventually turn a conventionally sized Lexus into an effective autonomous vehicle.

Here's NewsHour's full report below: