Umhlanga teen passionate about robotics, creates award winning health assistant robot
Sinead Samputh, 13, designed the robot, named Baymin which won the Inspired Global Robotics Competition in the 12–13-year-old age category.
Image: Supplied
A Grade 8 pupil from Reddam House Umhlanga has taken top honours in the Inspired Global Robotics Competition, winning the 12 -13-year-old age category with a health assistant robot designed to support children with limited access to basic healthcare.
Sinead Samputh, 13, designed the robot, named Baymin, which conducts simple health checks, including a forehead temperature scan and a short yes/no symptom screen.
It then uses binary logic to suggest likely conditions in language that children can understand. Samputh built the hybrid system by pairing Arduino hardware programmed in C++ with EV3 Mindstorms for the mechanical arm, adding a joystick to solve compatibility challenges.
Sinead Samputh with her low-cost health-assistant robot, affectionately named Baymin.
Image: Supplied
Samputh said her idea came about from her time volunteering at a community homework club.
“I saw how many children struggled with basic illnesses or didn’t always have access to quick healthcare support,” she said. “I wanted to design something simple, affordable, and friendly that could make them feel safer and more informed about their symptoms.”
She added that the robot was intentionally designed to feel approachable. “I wanted it to feel comforting, almost like a helpful friend, rather than a machine.”
Her commitment to service is well-known at Reddam. Earlier this year, she paid for eight children from the homework centre to attend the school’s production of Anastasia, covering dinner and transport from her own pocket money.
Head of College Shelley Peringuey said Samputh’s achievement reflects both technical ability and compassion. “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 first became interested in robotics after beginning coding lessons in Grade 4. “What excited me most was the idea that I could use programming to do so many things and create different projects of my choice,” she said. “Over time, I realised that robotics combines all the things I enjoy: creativity, problem-solving, and engineering.”
She hopes to continue in the field, with ambitions that extend into medicine. “My long-term dream is to become a neurosurgeon and work on unmanned surgical robotics that improve precision and save lives,” she said.
“Robotics is opening new possibilities in medicine, and I hope to be part of that future. Baymin is just the beginning of what I hope to learn and create, to help others.”
For young people starting out in robotics, her advice is straightforward. “Robotics is not about being perfect or knowing everything immediately. It’s about being curious, trying new ideas, and not giving up when something doesn’t work the first time,” she said. “If you stay determined and passionate, you’ll be surprised by what you can build. Anyone can learn robotics, no matter their starting point.”