The AI tracker: From showing who’s the boss to robotic turtle on a microplastic mission

Turtle on mission

Sixteen-year-old Canadian student Evan Budz has developed an autonomous robotic turtle designed to detect microplastics in water. The project combines robotics, AI and imaging technology. The turtle uses a custom 3D holographic camera and an AI system trained to distinguish tiny plastic particles from other microparticles in water. It can follow predetermined routes, control its depth and analyse water directly. The system could distinguish microplastics from other microparticles with 94% accuracy, making the project earn Budz a $50,000 scholarship.