This 16-year-old built an autonomous AI-powered robot turtle that finds microplastics in water

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 Evan Budz built a turtle-inspired autonomous robot that detects microplastics in water. His project won a $50,000 scholarship at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Budz, 16, conducted 15 field trials across 10 bodies of water in Canada. In the summer of 2024, Evan Budz stood at the edge of his grandparents' pool in…