On June 23, Bethpage High School junior Partap Sidhu presented his award-winning invention to the Board of Education, fresh off a trip to Phoenix, Arizona for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Partap's project, NeuroGait, is a mind-controlled pneumatic exoskeleton designed for individuals with lower-limb mobility impairments. The device merges neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and engineering, using a brain-computer interface to monitor brainwaves and predict a wearer's intention to move before any physical movement occurs. Perhaps most remarkably, Partap built the entire device for just $276, a fraction of the $40,000 to $100,000 price tag of commercially available exoskeletons.
Although the bulk of the exoskeleton was damaged in transit from Phoenix back to Long Island, Partap brought the headset to the meeting and demonstrated its capabilities to board members firsthand. After 100 trials of each movement, he was able to tune the device to predict intent to control, sit, stand, step up, and step forward with over 95% accuracy.
Partap previously placed first in his category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair before advancing to ISEF, where he earned second place in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category, competing against top students from around the world. Board members expressed genuine awe at the depth of Partap's innovation, congratulating him on an achievement that left a lasting impression on the room.
