Canadian teen builds AI turtle robot that finds microplastics with 94% accuracy

A 16-year-old Canadian high school student, Evan Budz, built a turtle-like robot that swims in water and uses AI to spot tiny plastic pieces. Inspired by a snapping turtle's smooth moves, he made the robot with a 3D holographic camera and an AI model that can tell microplastics from other small bits with 94% accuracy.

Evan won a $50,000 scholarship at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). He spent about 2,000 hours each on building the robot and the camera. The system can test water right where it is, no need to send samples to a lab, saving time and money.

Now, Evan plans to use the scholarship for college and hopes to share his work to help make microplastic testing easier for everyone.