Teen Invents AI-Powered Robotic Turtle to Identify Underwater Hazards with Impressive Precision

A 15-year-old student just built an AI-powered robotic turtle that can detect underwater environmental threats with surprising accuracy.

Inspired by watching a real snapping turtle glide through water, he created “BURT,” a turtle-shaped robot that moves without propellers to avoid damaging marine ecosystems. During testing, it reportedly identified simulated coral bleaching with 96% accuracy and can even help detect invasive species and microplastics.

What’s even wilder is that most of the early testing happened in his grandparents’ backyard pool before the robot was taken into Lake Ontario.

The project ended up winning major international science competitions and is now being seen as a possible new way to monitor fragile underwater environments without disturbing them.