Bionic Sea Turtle Wins Teen Top Science Prize

A top European science competition prize was just taken home by a turtle.

That’s because of Evan Budz, a 15-year-old student from Canada. He’s always worked to find solutions for common problems. That includes making a smart-pill dispenser with an alarm system when he was 7. He made it to help his forgetful grandparents remember to take their pills on time.  

It was in his grandparents’ backyard that Budz spied his first snapping turtle. The encounter gave him an idea. He knew that the world’s waterways are under threat from climate change and plastic pollution. He also knew that scientists are seeking ways to better study marine life for signs of trouble. That can be tricky, though. A human diving into an underwater habitat can be disruptive. That’s where the turtle comes in.  

“I chose the sea turtle because it has a low impact on its environment and is a really efficient swimmer,” Budz told Local News Canada. “It made sense to use that as a model for something that would blend in.”  

Budz worked hard to make an AI-powered robot turtle. He used his backyard pool as a test site. The robot can swim just like a real turtle. It can also scan below the waves for pollution, bleaching coral, or other signs of environmental distress. It does so with 96% accuracy. His invention won the 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair in June. And last month, his “Autonomous Bionic Sea Turtle Robot” took top prize at the 36th European Union Contest for Young Scientists.    

Photo of bionic sea turtle courtesy Youth Science Canada.

Thought Question: What’s a problem in the world that you wish technology could help solve?