16-yr-old Canadian student built AI robot turtle that hunts plastic invisible to eye | TheBriefWire
16-yr-old Canadian student built AI robot turtle that hunts plastic invisible to eye
Published 23 July 2026 ยท education
Canadian teenager Evan Budz has built an autonomous AI robot turtle that swims on its own and detects microplastics in lakes with 94% accuracy. The
Canadian teenager Evan Budz has built an autonomous AI robot turtle that swims on its own and detects microplastics in lakes with 94% accuracy. The 16-year-old spent roughly 4,000 hours on the bionic sea turtle and its underwater holographic camera, winning a $50,000 scholarship at the 2026 Regeneron ISEF. His goal: replace slow, expensive lab testing with on-the-spot microplastic detection in remote water bodies.
Published: July 23, 2026 โข 10:31 PM IST ยท Updated: July 23, 2026 โข 11:03 PM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
Canadian teenager Evan Budz has built an autonomous AI robot turtle that swims on its own and detects microplastics in lakes with 94% accuracy.
The 16-year-old spent roughly 4,000 hours on the bionic sea turtle and its underwater holographic camera, winning a $50,000 scholarship at the 2026 Regeneron ISEF.
His goal: replace slow, expensive lab testing with on-the-spot microplastic detection in remote water bodies.