Meet Caden Pohlkamp, the Texas seventh-grader who built an underwater robot to test...

Caden Terence Pohlkamp (7th Grade, Brookside Intermediate School, Friendswood, TX) A Texas seventh-grader has built a remote-controlled underwater robot to test water quality in 12 suburban neighbourhood ponds, finding that artificial fountains can help create healthier aquatic ecosystems. Caden Terence Pohlkamp, a student at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Texas, designed and used the submersible device to measure environmental conditions at different depths. His research earned him a place among the national finalists in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, according to candidate profiles published by the Society for Science.Building an underwater probePohlkamp became interested in the project after noticing differences in water clarity and algae growth in suburban retention ponds near his home. He wanted to collect data below the water without using expensive commercial equipment. He built an underwater remotely operated vehicle with a waterproof body, motorised thrusters, live video transmission and several digital sensors. The sensors were set up to collect real-time readings of important water conditions, including dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, ...