New Mexico State University (NMSU) announced that the 2023 New Mexico Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (NM BEST) Robotics competition, organized by the NMSU College of Engineering Office of Outreach and Recruitment, featured students designing robots for minimally invasive surgery on a simulated body field. The event showcased students' innovative solutions at the simulated body field, which included a heart, arteries, veins, and a brain. This competition took place with the intention of encouraging young minds to innovate in fields such as medical technology.
Firstly, The event involved over 170 middle and high school students from New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, who were tasked with designing and manufacturing remote-controlled robots capable of performing various surgeries such as cardiac valve repair, arterial plaque removal, and coronary artery bypass procedures. This challenge reflects the real-world emphasis on ongoing innovation in minimally invasive surgery according to a press release by NMSU.
Adding to this, "BEST Robotics is a wonderful robotics program impacting students across the nation by providing real-world engineering projects," said STEM Program Manager Clara Raley according to a press release by NMSU. "Every year we love providing this opportunity for students to practice entrepreneurial, project management, and of course robotics skills."
Furthermore, The winners of the competition named "Incision Decision" were Rio Rancho Robotics Team Lovington High School and Estancia High School. These teams along with others such as School of Dreams Academy Los Lunas High School J. Paul Taylor Academy from New Mexico as well as Eastlake High School Anthony High School from Texas will advance to the regional competition scheduled to take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in Dallas Texas according to a press release by NMSU.
Finally, "It is amazing that many of the BEST Robotics competitions have been so applicable to New Mexico’s economy, and the direct experiences of New Mexico students" said Raley according to a press release by NMSU. "Our STEM outreach efforts are important for meeting the workforce needs of our state and competitions like BEST create a pivotal link in the pipeline."
