Research & Innovation

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Citrus crop-yield estimates may be more accurate, thus ensuring higher productivity and more revenue, if an algorithm proves as successful as it did in a recent University of Florida study. Wonsuk “Daniel” Lee’s study, published in the January issue of the journal Biosystems Engineering, could eventually help Florida’s $9 billion-a-year citrus industry. Lee, a UF agricultural and …

Appeared in ASEE’s First Bell, January 9, 2014 (Reuters) – Researchers in Florida believe they have come up with a low-cost way to improve football helmets and better protect players against the glancing blows that experts say contribute to most concussions. Protective sports helmets on the market today are largely designed to absorb shock from direct linear hits, like head …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kidney failure patients in the not-too-distant future may have a new option that sidesteps the current organ shortage, lengthy wait and potential rejection: Grow your own. University of Florida researchers are using a pig kidney as a “scaffold” in which they are building a human version by injecting it with stem cells grown from the patient. Those …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The technology used to track movement in our cell phones, gaming devices, and airbags is about to scale down, resulting in smaller packaging, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. Accelerometers are used everyday to track movement in many responsive electronic devices – they are how your smart phone knows to readjust a picture when you turn your …

In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, reporters are asking the question everyone is thinking: How can we prevent tragedies like this from happening. David Prevatt, a professor of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida, offered suggestions for building more wind-resistant structures and surge-protected communities in an interview with John Roach of NBC News: “Surviving typhoons will require smarter …

An interdisciplinary effort between the University of Florida’s College of Engineering and the College of Medicine is aiming to save the lives of at-risk expectant mothers living in Africa. Electrical and biomedical engineering professor Jose Principe and the chief of obstetric anesthesia for UF Health Shands Hospital, Tammy Euliano, are developing a simple device to detect preeclampsia – a high …

With the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy fast approaching, scientists say they are moving closer to developing more effective early warning systems for future storms. Engineers at the University of Florida are building small autonomous vehicles that fly into and under hurricanes to provide real time data about their intensity and track. Ben Gruber reports. http://www.reuters.com/video/2099/01/01/reuters-tv-video?videoId=274195097

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida College of Engineering today will launch the University of Florida Transportation Institute. Under its umbrella, departments, centers and programs from around the university will work together to better focus on safely and efficiently getting people where they need to go. “For decades, UF has had great transportation projects going on all around campus,” said institute director Lily Elefteriadou. …

Combat, cancer and accidents – all can cause devastating nerve injuries. Sometimes, the body heals on its own. “Your peripheral nerves, the ones in the arms and the face, have an inherent ability to regenerate, but only under ideal circumstances,” says University of Florida biomedical engineer Christine Schmidt. With support from the National Science Foundation, Schmidt and her team are …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Mechanical and aerospace engineering and astronomy faculty members at the University of Florida have been selected to work with NASA’s Langley Research Center on navigation and guiding systems for small satellites. Norman Fitz-Coy, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said the instruments developed for this project are based on some of the oldest navigation tools used throughout …