Robotic Technology: Lowering the human burden on our military through technological advances by Lily

Robotic Technology: Lowering the human burden on our military through technological advances by Lily - March 2025 Scholarship Essay

In 10 years I see myself researching methods to lessen the occurrence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in military veterans. I will accomplish this by attending the Colorado School of Mines, where I will study design engineering, focusing on robotics and automation. I picture myself developing robotic technology that would allow the military services to use in combat zones or on dangerous humanitarian aid missions, versus sending in humans and risking their lives. I have a passion for building and designing robots and want to learn how to harness that passion to save lives and improve the mental health of our military service men and women.

It is common knowledge that military veterans face mental health challenges after leaving military service, and I believe that robotic technologies could lessen that burden. For example, we know that there are existing robots used to defuse or investigate suspicious packages, autonomous vehicles, and drones. Those same robots could be improved to be more versatile over longer distances to deliver humanitarian aid, lowering the number of humans needed to deliver that aid in dangerous situations.

Through my studies at Colorado School of Mines, I hope to narrow down my goals to get a better understanding of how I can make what I am envisioning a reality.