UF researchers took advantage of Miami's BCS National Championship crowds this week to show off their new inventions.
About 450 people attended the inner-city showcase Tuesday and Wednesday. The display featured a robotic car, air-cooled shoulder pads for football players and a self-guided underwater device called the SubjuGator.
Dave Armstrong, the project manager for the robotic car - the NaviGator - said the vehicle holds $200,000 in hardware.
The renovated SUV contains five cameras, eight lasers, three GPS units and 12 dual-core computers, he said.
Armstrong said people have a hard time realizing the car is driven by sensors and computers alone.
"There's nobody controlling the car," he said. "There's no remote control whatsoever."
Although it can drive and park itself, the NaviGator remained stationary with its lights flashing while on display, Armstrong said.
Temperature Management System shoulder pads were also featured.
Dr. Nik Gravenstein, co-developer of the air-cooled athletic gear, said the pads prevent football players from becoming overheated and dehydrated during games.
Gravenstein compared everyday football padding to a three-piece wool suit. The TMS pads reduce the humidity under players' uniforms by circulating dry air, he said.
"I hope they use them in the national championship game," Gravenstein said.
The event's festivities also offered Gators fans a chance to stop by a mobile video van to describe how they became a Gator, said Dan Williams, UF's director of marketing.
Tuesday's event, put on by the Association of Hispanic Alumni, was invitation-only and featured a visitation by UF President Bernie Machen, he said.
Wednesday's event, held at a picnic area in Jungle Island and open to the public, included a performance by cheerleaders and UF's the "Pride of the Sunshine" Fightin' Gator Marching Band.
