Scientific innovation, particularly the kind found at student science fairs and competitions, is thrilling. There's a sense of amazement when an individual accomplishes something ingenious or wildly clever. Enthusiasm is contagious among fair participants, who've been encouraged to lean into their brainpower. Maybe the best part: These young innovators can — and truly want to — use their intellect to make life better for all. Twenty-year-old Romanian computer scientist Ionut Budisteanu, who won the Gordon E Moore grand prize at the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for his low-cost, self-driving car, has participated in more than 130 such competitions. His goal is not to be rich and famous. “I want to do something positive for the world,” he says.

While there are currently about ten self-driving cars in the world, Budisteanu's is the least costly, by far, at only $4,000. A similar car employed top-tier 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) artificial intelligence technology and cost $75,000 to build. Budisteanu mounted a camera to the car's roof and used the low-resolution 3D LiDAR equipment he could afford at the time to detect traffic lanes, other cars, curbs and obstacles, such as people crossing by. He programmed four laptops — powered by Intel multi core processors — to perform specific tasks, while a fifth laptop merged all the data and produced lightning fast calculations. While initial safety simulations fell slightly short of 100% with his low-res equipment, he is developing highly precise 3D LiDAR that would add just a few thousand dollars to the price tag and significantly reduce any safety risk.

“More than 1.5 million people die in car accidents each year, and the large majority of those accidents are the result of human error,” Budisteanu says. “Computers are very precise, and can make traffic decisions very quickly based on data. The device spinning on the roof is able to compute the distance between the 3D LiDAR and objects via lasers and photons, and uses Doppler technology to compute direction.” Obviously computing power was crucial for Budisteanu, from the earliest planning stages to the countless hours of simulation. “I needed a lot of power.”

With accolades from the most prestigious institutions in education and technology, recognition as one of the 16 most influential teens of 2013 by Time magazine, and a laundry list of international science awards on his resume, Budisteanu knows how to put his power to good use. A second-year student at University of Bucharest, with aspirations to be an impactful university researcher, he has dozens of projects in the works. One project he's particularly passionate about is a phone and tablet app that has the potential to revolutionize walking navigation for the blind. Meanwhile, he uses his Intel-powered tablet to access books and papers from across the globe that feed his research, believing that today's level of online connectivity is a great equalizer. “I don't have to be at MIT or Stanford to do amazing research,” he says. “Intention is everything. A sculptor can create a Stradivarius. if he wants to, or he can create a broom. It's the same with programming ... you can use your computer to play games, or you can use it to win a Nobel Prize. Everyone has a chance to do something amazing.”