Evan Budz said winning a $50,000 scholarship for his research in May was "surreal."
Chris Ayers/Chris Ayers Photography/License by Society for Science
In the summer of 2024, Evan Budz stood at the edge of his grandparents' pool in Canada, trying to solve a unique problem: How to make his autonomous sea turtle robot swim."I remember some of my first tests. I would put my robot in the water, and it would sink right to the bottom," Budz, 16, told Business Insider. "It wouldn't swim. It wouldn't regulate its depth. It was like a brick."While most teenagers don't face such a quandary, it became a major focal point for Budz, who became captivated by the aquatic creatures during a camping trip with his family in Ontario's backcountry earlier that year."I saw a snapping turtle swimming in the water with fluidic movement and very natural motion. I was quite inspired to develop a robot that mimics it," Budz said.
The holographic camera is mounted atop the autonomous robot.
Evan Budz
