text: As our cities get busier parking spaces become harder to come by and it can be difficult to squeeze into a tight spot in rush hour. But German engineers have come up with an innovative solution - a small electric car that can turn on the spot, shrink in size and even move sideways, like a crab, so it can park itself. The EOssc2 is described as an 'ultra flexible micro-car for mega cities' and is designed to connect to others to form a train. Scroll down for videos . Engineers at the DFKI Robotics Centre describe the EOssc2 (animated) as an 'ultra flexible micro-car for mega cities' and plan on enabling it to drive itself. The concept car can turn on the spot, shrink in size and even move sideways, like a crab, so it can park itself . Crabs have a wide flat body to make it easier squeeze into narrow spaces and the EOssc2 works in a similar way. The arthropods flex the second joint of each leg to move sideways, although some crabs can walk forwards as well. In the case of the EOssc2, the car turns its wheels to manoeuvre and mimic this movement. Its unusual design also features a forward tilt and doors that open like the DeLorean in Back to the Future. Its unusual design also features a forward tilt and doors that open like the DeLorean in Back to the Future (pictured). Currently, the two-seater vehicle can be driven in the traditional way, diagonally and sideways. It pivots using wheels powered by separate motors and shrinks from 8ft (2.5metres) to 5ft ft (1.5metres) Crabs (stock image) have a wide flat body to make it easier squeeze into narrow spaces and the EOssc2 works in a similar way. The arthropods flex the second joint of each leg to move sideways, although some crabs can walk forwards as well. In the case of the car, the wheels pivot sideways . Created at the DFKI Robotics Centre in Bremen, Germany, the concept vehicle is intended to be semi-autonomous. The car's computer and its auto-navigation system enables it to park itself, 'even within narrow and congested roads,' the firm said. Size: 8 feet (2.5metres) to 5 feet (1.5metres) Weight: 1,653 lbs (750kg) Power: 54V - LiFePo4 battery . Speed: 40mph (65 km/h) Motors: Four 4kW wheelhub motors . Sensors: 360 LIDAR sensor on the roof . Testing: Bremen, Germany and Dalian, China . 'Later, an autopilot will be able to drive the car without a single passenger intervention creating the driverless car,' it added. Currently, the two-seater vehicle can be driven in the traditional way, diagonally and sideways. It can also pivot on the spot and shrink from 8 feet (2.5metres) to 5 feet (1.5metres) while maintaining a comfortable seating position, according to the firm. It does this because its wheels are individually powered by separate motors so they can turn in different directions. The car has a top speed of 40mph (65 km/h) and its semi-autonomous features are possible because of inbuilt cameras and a LIDAR sensor on its roof, which lets the vehicle scan its environment and locate itself in it, 10 times a second. It is designed to link with others to from a kind a connected convoy that can save energy over long distances - such as on motorways or as a car-sharing scheme. A team of 10 engineers built the car from scratch over a three year period. The EOssc2 is currently being tested in the cities of Bremen and Dalian, China. The car has a top speed of 40mph (65 km/h) and its semi-autonomous features are possible because of inbuilt cameras and a LIDAR sensor on its roof, which lets the vehicle scan its environment and locate itself in it, 10 times a second. The EOssc2 is currently being tested in the cities of Bremen and Dalian, China .
target: German EOssc2 concept car is electric and semi-autonomous .
  It can turn on the spot and be driven diagonally and sideways .
  Concept car can park itself in tight spaces using cameras and a sensor .
  Engineers hope to make 40mph (60km/h) vehicle completely autonomous .