Samantha Payne facts for kids

Samantha Joanne Payne is a clever English inventor and business owner. She helped start a company called Open Bionics. This company makes amazing, affordable robotic hands and arms for children. Samantha has won many awards for her work. For example, she was named an 'Innovator under 35' by MIT Technology Review in 2018. She also received an award from James Dyson for her engineering ideas. In 2020, she was given an MBE award. This was for making bionic technology easier for everyone to get.

Growing Up and Learning

Samantha Payne grew up in Knowle West, near Bristol, England. She went to Whitworth University. There, she earned a degree in arts and science.

Her Career Journey

Samantha first worked as a journalist. She wrote mostly about technology. In 2013, she interviewed Joel Gibbard. He was a robotics expert at the time. Later, Samantha and Joel decided to work together. They became business partners.

In 2014, Samantha and Joel started Open Bionics. Their company began at the Technology Business Incubator. This was at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Their main goal was to create "affordable, assistive devices." These devices would help improve the human body.

Open Bionics has even teamed up with Disney. Together, they make cool robotic hands for kids. These hands look like characters from Disney movies! Samantha's work at Open Bionics has been featured. It has appeared in newspapers like The Guardian and Daily Mirror.

Smart Inventions

Open Bionics uses special technology. They use 3D scanning to measure for a prosthetic hand. Then, they use 3D printing to build it. These methods make the hands much faster to create. They also cost less money to make. This means more people can afford them.

Samantha explains that a bionic hand with many movements can cost a lot. From other companies, it might cost up to £60,000. But from Open Bionics, it costs around £5,000. This makes a huge difference for people needing a prosthetic.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2015, Samantha was nominated for an award. It was for 'Young Entrepreneur of The Year'. In 2018, she was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30. This list highlights young people doing amazing things. She was recognized in the Sciences and Healthcare group.