This competition featured teams of high schools students who built a LEGO Mindstorms robotics project.

Using Lego Mindstorm kits, the student teams assembled robots that simulated the performance of surgical tasks. Each of the following high-school teams won a plaque and a cash prize. The judging was based on the following: originality, design quality, ability to accomplish the assigned task, teamwork and overall presentation.

Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains, took first prize and $500 for designing a robot that reattached a severed hot dog. The surgery simulated the reattachment of a severed human limb. Their advisor was physics teacher Brian Holton, East Brunswick. “The team showed that they had done in-depth research on their robot design project through their presentation and also during a question and answer session,” said Cynthia Camacho, an NJIT student who judged the contest.

Westside High School, Newark, won second prize and $300 for designing a robot that also reattached the amputated tip of hot dog.

Two schools tied for third place. Manalapan High School, Manalapan, won third prize and $100 for building a robot that surgically removed a seed from a grape. The surgery simulated the removal of a tumor. The Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, Edison, also won third place and $100 for designing a robot that also reattached a severed hot dog.                                                NJIT press release

List of Winners and Competing Schools
Medbotics Surgical Robot Design Competition

First Place: Union County Magnet High School - Brian Holton, teacher
Crystal Gonzalez
Lucy Guanera
Marissa Cotroneo

Second Place: Westside High School, Newark - Ms. J. Mosselle, teacher
Alphonse Anderson
Jamal McCormick
Jamar Jones
LeBaron Hill

Third Place: 1. Manalapan High School - Nicolas Mennuti, teacher
Christina Wright
Sahi Kaveri
Adam Gashin
Andrew Godbehere
2. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Enzo Paterno, teacher
Rohit Sodhia
Greg Schmitt
Evan Raffel
Pamela Ahn
Deval Patel

Other Competitors

Toms River High School North - Barbara Keller, teacher

Cape May County Technical High School - Denman Sweetman, teacher
Jennifer Coughlin
Corinne Maxwell
Linda Cassel
Jon Edmunds

Bergen Academies - Carlos Nodarse, teacher
Scott Isenberg
David Kafrouni
Vlad Pop
Michael Rykowski
Melissa Worthington
Matthew Mendoza

Freehold Boro High School - Nicolas Mennuti, teacher
Danny Jassal
Abby Lin
Lauren Marino

Ramapo High School -
Matti Makela
James Muliawan
Alan Radvinsky

Perth Amboy High School - Jacquelyn Conroy, teacher
Drew Pennyfeather
Fransisco Flores
Carlos Lopez

COMPETITION GUIDELINES

1. High schools will be asked to apply for the competition and to submit an essay describing why they would like to participate.
2. Ten teams will be chosen based on the written essays.
3. Teams of approximately 3 students will be formed at each high school. The high school will be responsible for providing a computer and a faculty mentor.
4. The teams will be mailed an information booklet containing:
   a. Information and web links on how to use Lego Mindstorms
   b. Information about the surgical robot that they will be creating.
   c. Contact information for an NJIT/BME student who will act as a contact and as a mentor.
5. Approximately one month before the conference, the students will be mailed the kits.
6. On Saturday March 22, the teams will arrive in the morning and set up their projects in an open area where conference attendees can view the projects during the day.
7. Late in the day on Saturday, the judging will be held. Teams will demonstrate their projects and will be judged by a panel of students and faculty based on already established criteria. Prizes will be awarded following the judging.
8. There will be three prizes awarded:

• First prize will be $500 for the winning team.
• Second prize will be $300 for the team
• Third prize will be $100 for the team