( CNN ) -- When Marita Cheng was told to clean her room as a child , she imagined an army of robots doing the dirty work for her . `` I looked around and I did n't see any robots helping me with the household chores , '' the 24-year-old engineering whiz said . `` And I thought : ' I want to be part of making robots a reality . ' '' Speaking to Cheng , one of Australia 's brightest young scientists , you get the feeling there 's not much she could n't solve with a bit of brain power . Her latest project ? Creating a bionic arm that could revolutionize the lives of quadriplegics around the world . Young gun . Watching Cheng speaking to a packed Sydney Opera House crowd at one of her TEDx talks , it 's hard not to get swept up in her effervescent and eloquent `` can-do '' view of the world . `` Why are we as a country doing such a bad job at inspiring the next generation of engineers ? '' she asks , microphone headpiece strapped on , before clicking to her next slide show on a giant screen behind . Has she always been this confident ? `` I do n't know , I guess I get scared all the time really , '' she says , speaking by phone above the din of Melbourne trams trundling past . Robogals . In 2012 , Cheng was named `` Young Australian of the Year , '' a hugely prestigious award that saw her join the ranks of other remarkable youngsters Jessica Watson , the youngest person to single-handedly sail around the world , and swimmer Ian Thorpe , the country 's most successful Olympian . Cheng quickly learned to become comfortable on stage , in the following year giving 150 lectures on her work that combined science and , rather unusually , feminism . While an engineering student at Melbourne University -- one of just five women in a class of over 50 men -- Cheng founded Robogals , a group of students encouraging girls to get involved in science and technology . Just 11 % of engineers in Australia are women -- it 's a similar story the U.S. ( 14 % ) and Britain ( 9 % ) -- and Cheng felt compelled to show a new generation of girls that science could be fulfilling and even , wait for it , cool . `` There 's this perception that engineering is for men , and girls do n't do that , '' she said . `` When I go to expos for Robogals , I get young girls come up to me and say : 'Oh my brother might be interested in this . ' But I 'm like : 'No , this is something you can do , it 's really fun . ' They do n't even realize it 's a possibility before you tell them that it is . '' Within four years , the organization had expanded to Britain , the U.S. , and Japan , teaching over 8,000 girls robotics through school workshops , career talks , and community events . Out on a limb . When Cheng recently graduated with a degree in Mechatronics and Computer Science , she had the choice of hundreds of job offers . Instead , she decided to strike out on her own , founding 2Mar Robotics -- a company `` focused on building beautiful robots that help us in our everyday lives . '' The team is now working on a bionic arm -- called `` Jeva '' -- which would help quadriplegics . Mounted on a wheelchair , the high-tech limb would be voice-operated and able to remember and repeat common tasks . `` I was still finishing my studies off and I thought : 'What do I want to do ? What 's a cool , fun thing to do ? What will make me feel fulfilled ? What will give me purpose in my life ? ' '' said Cheng . The lucky country . Growing up in a social housing estate in tropical north Queensland , the determined young woman says her mom , a single-parent and hotel cleaner , was a huge influence in her life . `` She always just did what she had to do , and that 's what I saw as a kid . '' Does she think Australians are too laid back when it comes to technology ? `` I think we could have more of a vision for the future , '' she says . `` Otherwise , if you 're just focused on the past , then there 'll be other countries that are more hungry , more innovative , and doing their best to work towards a better future . '' `` One day we 'll wake up and say : 'OK , what happened to all the great stuff that we enjoy ? ' ''
Meet Marita Cheng : the talented technician bringing robots to your home . 24-year-old named `` Young Australian of the Year '' for science work . Founded `` Robogals , '' global group encouraging girls to study technology . Now working on bionic voice-controlled arm for quadriplegics .