FRISCO, Texas — At 7 years old, Siddarth Nandyala's parents bought him his first STEM kit. They never realized it would lead their son to becoming an inventor and entrepreneur at a young age.
Now 13, Siddarth attends Lawler Middle School in Frisco. But outside the classroom, he is a hands-on creator and CEO of a company called STEM IT.
A few years ago, Siddarth visited India with his family.
"I witnessed a young boy without an arm, and I realized that he didn't have a prosthetic," Siddarth said.
He said the boy's family could not afford a prosthetic arm for their child.
Siddarth looked into it and realized how expensive a prosthetic arm could be.
"Right now, a prosthetic arm costs upwards of $30,000, and that's really, really unaffordable for people who are in need," he said.
Watch the full interview with Siddarth Nandyala here:
Siddarth said he wanted to help the boy he met, so he started coding and creating.
"The prosthetic arm that I was able to create, which hopefully we're able to change lives around the world with, costs around $150, which is a huge difference," said Siddarth.
With a 3D printer he received for his 12th birthday from his parents, he created multiple prototypes. Each one improved more and more.
"I got it to completely have the finger movements as well as the intuitive human controls," he said. "Even the plastic that was used to create that is PLA, so it's made of corn and sugar cane. And it's 80% more sustainable than any other plastic there is."
Siddarth's latest model won at the 2024 National Stem Festival. He is heading to Washington D.C. next week to present his invention.
With his new prosthetic arm invention, Siddarth is tying it back to his company, STEM IT, which sells STEM kits. He hopes to teach the next generation how to code and engineer the prosthetic arm.
The Frisco Mayor, Texas Governor and President of the United States are among many who have recognized Siddarth's work.
He dreams of bettering the future of prosthetics. Eventually, he hopes to get his prosthetic arm on the market and be able to donate his invention to people who are underprivileged.