Surgical robot competition - Introducing engineering in medicine to pre-college students

Robotics is a multidisciplinary field that holds great potential for hands-on education throughout a student's school career. However, making technology accessible for learning is challenging due to cost, safety and implementation concerns. This paper describes a method for drawing on current, real life challenges faced by researchers in the field and translating such experiences into a secondary school level program. The concept of the competition, application of LEGO Mindstorms® robotics platform, methods of organization and expansion, past experiences and future plans are presented. Our goal is to show an example of how to integrate off-the-shelf robotic technology with current real-world engineering challenges and to engage students in the fields of engineering, robotics, and medicine in a fun and exciting atmosphere.