While the world of flying cars and robots portrayed in "The Jetsons" hasn't quite come to fruition yet, a university in Texas is working on a space-age technology that soon may transform the transportation industry. Students receiving training in computer engineering information or completing classes for a computer science degree are perfecting an innovation that may lead the way for a "Jetsons"-style future: a driver-less car.

According to PC World, these cars would be directed by virtual traffic controllers at intersections. A professor of computer science at UT recently presented the research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in Vancouver.

"When a car gets close to the intersection, it calls ahead and says, 'I want to go through the intersection.' The intersection manager says either yes or no. It keeps track of the reservations it grants and makes sure it doesn't give permission to other cars that would conflict with them," the professor said.

While some think driver-less cars may sound like a crazy idea, many other forms of mechanized transportation have an autopilot option, such as airplanes, boats and trains. Signs of self-driving cars are continuing to pop up, with Google launching its robotic cars to map the country's streets.