The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and implementation of an unmanned ground vehicle, called the TailGator at CIMAR (Center for Intelligent Machines and Robotics) of the University of Florida. The TailGator is a gas powered, four-wheeled vehicle that was designed for the AUVSI Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition and has been tested in the contest for 2 years. The vehicle control model and design of the sensory systems are described. The competition is comprised of two events called the Autonomous Challenge and the Navigation Challenge: For the autonomous challenge, line following, obstacle avoidance, and detection are required. Line following is accomplished with a camera system. Obstacle avoidance and detection are accomplished with a laser scanner. For the navigation challenge, waypoint following and obstacle detection are required. The waypoint navigation is implemented with a global positioning system. The TailGator has provided an educational test bed for not only the contest requirements but also other studies in developing artificial intelligence algorithms such as adaptive control, creative control, automatic calibration, and internet-base control. The significance of this effort is in helping engineering and technology students understand the transition from theory to practice.