14-year-old builds handheld AI pesticide scanner PestiSCAND with 85% accuracy
nordicinst · x · 2026-10-15
- Sirish Subash, a ninth-grader from Georgia, won the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge ($25,000 and the "America's Top Young Scientist" title) for PestiSCAND, a handheld device that checks produce for pesticide residue.
- How it works: spectrophotometry measures light reflected off fruits and vegetables, then a machine learning model analyzes the waves to detect pesticides. Tested 85% accuracy on spinach and tomatoes (roughly 1 in 7 readings may be wrong). Positioned as an extra check after normal washing, not a medical tool.
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