CONROE (November 7, 2023) –Lone Star College-Montgomery recently concluded its BEST Robotics competition of 2023, with teams from local middle and high schools coming together to showcase their skills in this exciting field. The competition was held at Lone Star College-Kingwood on October 28, 2023, and once again exceeded all expectations while providing a platform for robotics students to explore innovative technology in a new way.
Miguel Garcia-Rubio, Lone Star College-Montgomery Engineering Program Director, chaired the Robotics Competition at Lone Star College-Kingwood. Each year, students participating in the competition have the opportunity to construct a robot using a limited set of materials. These robots then compete in a game against other schools, where they may be tasked with removing "dangerous" materials, rescuing aliens, or assisting heart surgeons in medical procedures.
The theme of this year's competition, "Incision Decision," was to design and construct a robot that would be able to perform remote heart surgery, brain surgery, or both, under the supervision of a surgeon. Teams started with the same materials and instructions provided to them by BEST Robotics with eight weeks to go from concept to working robot.
The purpose of the competition was to challenge participating students to emulate a real-world scenario of product development and design, aimed at solving significant industry or global problems. With the competition's focus on robotics, it offered aspiring young minds a platform to showcase their engineering skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
The participants were tasked with designing a robot that could perform surgical procedures remotely while ensuring precision, accuracy, and reliability. The theme reflected the current industry trends, where technology is being used to enhance medical procedures beyond traditional methods. The students not only designed and constructed the robots but also had to showcase how their invention could solve real-world situations.
"The BEST Robotics competition is a 'ready-made' platform for Lone Star College to connect with students who are interested in pursuing STEM disciplines and careers. With over 450 students and 21 schools participating in the recent event held on October 28th, we see the potential for this sports-like competition to ignite innovation, creativity, and collaboration among the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Miguel Garcia-Rubio.
Overall, the "Incision Decision" competition was a resounding success, not only in terms of the participating student's creative genius and practical abilities but also in addressing a current issue, which certainly holds global significance. The Best Robotics program continues to provide an excellent opportunity for aspiring engineers to hone their skills, nurturing the next generation of leaders, and problem solvers for the industry.
Lone Star College-Montgomery's participation and sponsorship of the robotics competition further highlights their commitment to promoting science and engineering among high school and middle school students. The college’s involvement with the robotics competition not only showcased their dedication to STEM education but also provided students with invaluable hands-on experience and opportunities for their future careers.
To learn more about the robotics competition, visit the Incision Decision competition’s website at bestrobotics.org.