florida.HIGH.TECH florida.HIGH.TECH 2016 | Page 69

CORRIDOR COMPANIES TAKE CENTER STAGE Captain Shrederator. Nightmare. Ghost Raptor. Tune into ABC Television Network on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. starting June 23 and these characters will light up the screen. They aren’t the cartoon characters you might imagine. Instead, these expertly designed machines controlled by robotics engineers are fighting to the death to the cheers of an in-studio audience to become the next champion of “BattleBots.” Have your popcorn ready at 9 p.m. on Fridays, too, when ABC’s “Shark Tank” airs the well-crafted, 90-second business pitches of aspiring entrepreneurs standing on the set of a neighboring television studio. They’re hoping to land a deal with the sharks – ruthless business tycoons who seek innovation that’s worth their investment. Don’t be surprised if you see a familiar face on the screen. Both shows have featured local participants, placing the Corridor’s high tech industry center stage. s peci a l se c t io n florida.HIGH.TECH 2016 67