Partap Sidhu is a sophomore at Bethpage High School. He is also an internationally recognized engineer.
Sidhu won fourth place in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category at the 75th Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio.
His placement earned him a $600 scholarship and an invitation from the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University to attend a residential summer engineering camp of his choice in the summer of 2026.
Sidhu’s project, “A Humanoid Upper Body for Automating Hazardous Tasks,” addresses the critical need for safer solutions in high-risk work environments. With industries increasingly turning to robotics to perform dangerous tasks, they often face steep costs and technological limitations, which is something that Sidhu’s work seeks to change.
Sidhu’s humanoid robot cost just $897 to build, rather than the typical five- to seven-figure price tag typically associated with them.
His design features quasi-direct drive actuators and incorporates machine learning, allowing it to adapt to a wide range of complex tasks. The system is capable of real-time planning and has an Intel RealSense 3D camera for precise position detection. It has an average accuracy of 97%, and motor control is controlled by a CAN bus interface.
The prototype successfully completed trials in both laboratory and recycling environments.
Sidhu said he began working on this in September and finished his project in February. It placed within the top 20 at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. He then moved on to the international level.
Sidhu said the week-long competition in May allowed him to expand his horizons, not just intellectually, but also culturally.
“It’s a really nice experience with people from over 30 countries that are there,” he said. “You get to meet a lot of people from places you’ve never even been and it’s really nice to be introduced to these cultures.”
The competition is nothing new for the Bethpage high schooler. Sindu said he worked on a robotics project as a freshman and has been attending science fairs and engineering competitions since middle school.
Sidhu says he still has time in high school to figure out his career path, but that he is interested in brain-controlled robotics and prosthetics and would like to do further research into those topics.
