Teen tech whiz turns homework club into robot revolution
Sinead Samputh, a Grade 8 learner at Reddam House Umhlanga with her low-cost health-assistant robot, affectionately named Baymin.
Image: Supplied
AT JUST 13 years old, Sinead Samputh, a learner at Reddam House Umhlanga has officially gone from homework helper to health-tech hero.
Her invention, Baymin, a budget-friendly, bright-eyed little robot, has clinched top spot in the Inspired Global Robotics Competition. Armed with clever hybrid coding and off-the-shelf parts, Baymin dishes out speedy health checks and simple symptom screenings.
The idea sparked during Samputh’s weekly volunteering at a homework club, where she saw firsthand how tough limited healthcare access can be for children and decided to do something brilliantly geeky about it.
Her school says her win reflects the power of empathy-led innovation, with the young engineer already dreaming of a future building life-saving surgical robots.
Baymin conducts simple health checks, including a forehead temperature scan and a brief yes/no symptom screen, then uses binary logic to suggest likely conditions in language that children can understand. To achieve this on accessible hardware, Sinead built a hybrid system that pairs Arduino components programmed in C++ with EV3 Mindstorms for the mechanical arm, adding a joystick as a practical workaround for platform compatibility.
“I realised there really are no limits, it’s not about being the smartest, it’s about being determined and passionate. I can use what I know to help others; I don’t need to wait until I’m older to make a difference,” said Samputh.
Samputh’s service ethos extends beyond robotics. Earlier this year she paid for eight learners from the homework centre to attend Reddam’s production of Anastasia, covering dinner and transport from her own pocket money, the same kindness and responsibility that underpin Baymin’s purpose.
Shelley Peringuey, Head of College at Reddam House Umhlanga, said Samputh’s achievement reflects the school’s commitment to rigorous problem-solving anchored in empathy. “Baymin is clever engineering, but it is also a heartfelt response to a real need. We’re incredibly proud of Sinead’s leadership, service and technical curiosity, and we look forward to supporting her as she takes this project further.”
Samputh began coding in Grade 4 through an online programme that introduced Java, HTML, CSS and Python. Looking ahead, she hopes to keep developing Baymin and dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon who builds surgical robots that save lives.