Estonia was represented by team Ralf Saarmets/Gregor Siimon/Robin Merisalu with the project ENEV006T – DEEP: Deep-sea Ecosystem Evaluation Platform. Inspired by deep-sea coral restoration efforts, they developed an autonomous device capable of real-time monitoring at depths up to 11,000 metres. Their multi-sensor probe measures pH, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and calcium carbonate. It has a hybrid power system sustained by betavoltaic energy supercapacitors and is capable of acoustic data transmission. Their full abstract is available at: isef.net/project/enev006t-deep-deep-sea-ecosystem-evaluation-platform
As summarized by Ralf Saarmets, they also “ran hydrostatic pressure simulations in Fusion 360, testing different shell thicknesses until we confirmed the design could withstand over 100 Mpa (Megapascals). We also modelled each component’s power consumption individually to make sure the betavoltaic and supercapacitor hybrid could actually handle the system’s demands. The device is still in a conceptual stage, though. We have not tested it in the ocean yet. Partly because of funding, partly because the Baltic Sea is too shallow for deep-sea coral anyway. But we believe DEEP has real potential given the ecological and economic importance of deep-sea coral ecosystems. Deep-sea corals support critical fisheries, protect coastlines, and are actively being restored, where poor monitoring remains one of the main causes of restoration failure. We are open to collaboration and very much hope for the chance to continue developing it. A patent and startup path are both things we have thought about and would love to explore with the right support, since even limited European patents are costly.”
“When you explain your project to someone who knows nothing about it, you understand it better yourself. And always remember why you are doing it. What problem are you solving? Who does it help? That bigger picture keeps you going on the hard days.”
(Ralf Saarmets)
When asked what advice they would give to future students wanting to compete in international fairs like ISEF, Ralf Saarmets suggested the following: “Be curious. Hallucinate like David Holz of Midjourney. The best ideas come from imagining things that don’t exist yet and then making them real. Learn good scientific methodology, that’s the foundation, but winning ideas are novel ones. Go somewhere no one has explored before. Keep your topic narrow so you can actually go deep. We believe that our project this year was too broad to have a good scientific impact. Mistakes* are just lessons. Some of our biggest design changes came from things going wrong. Talk to experts, talk to people outside your field. When you explain your project to someone who knows nothing about it, you understand it better yourself. And always remember why you are doing it. What problem are you solving? Who does it help? That bigger picture keeps you going on the hard days.”
Saarmets’ comments about making mistakes* reminded me of Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, who invented the modern day pH meter and DU Spectrophotometer. Beckman’s favourite tips for a successful life included the following recommendation: “Don't be afraid of making mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not doing very much… Acquire new knowledge and always ask why.”
The full list of 2026 ISEF projects can be found at isef.net/categories . The variety of topics can be seen as follows, just to name a few:
-MATS049 – Manufacturing With Moon Dust (Clara Allen, Utah, USA)
-EGSD033- Martian Rover Dust Cleaning: Solar Energy Recovery (Saharsha Konda, Pennsylvania, USA)
-BEHA026 -Teen Brain, Caffeine: Epigenetic & Behavior (Sophia Zeng, China)
-CELL015 – Dopaminergic Degeneration in an MPAN Mouse Model (Samia Khaled, Ohio, USA)
-MATS004 – Low-Density Ceramic Synthesis From Cenospheres (Aleksis Baduns, Latvia)
-EAEV005 – Synoptic Factors of Cyclone “Kirsty’s” Rainfall (Martins Bergšteins, Latvia).
Hikaru Kuribayashi (Japan) won the $100,000 George D. Yanacopoulos Innovator Award for his project PHYS021-MCMC Sampling of Origami and Linkages.
Wishing everyone a happy summer of exploring and inventing!
