Fresno 8th Grader Is Being Recognized For Her New Invention

At the beginning of stay-at-home orders, many wondered what creative projects and inventions would be produced with all this new free time.

One instance of creative invention during the time of COVID can be found in a young Fresno scientist who is being recognized nationally for her work.

Pauline Estrada, an eighth-grader at Granite Ridge Intermediate, created what she calls the infra rover, "which is a rover with a camera system attached to it," Estrada explained to ABC30.

Estrada created the rover to detect a plant's drought stress in real time.

"Prolonged droughts are becoming a common occurrence in California," said Estrada. "We are really known for our agriculture, so seeing the impact the drought had inspired me to create a project on this problem."

Estrada took her infra rover to the Broadcom Masters, a national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) middle school competition.

This was the competition's first ever virtual event.

"It was kind of weird in the beginning because you were sitting in a room alone and it kind of felt like you were talking to yourself sometimes or just talking to a computer," said Estrada.

After she adjusted, Estrada said competing in the virtual competition was "really fun."

There, Estrada placed as one of the 30 finalists, becoming one of the nation's top middle school STEM leaders and innovators.

Not only is Estrada's invention climate conscious, it's also COVID conscious.

The remote operated rover helps minimize person-to-person contact in the fields.

"That matters during a health emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic," said Estrada.

Her relevant invention earned her second place in the technology division.

Estrada is already planning on competing in next year's Broadcom Masters and hopes to become an oncologist when she grows up.

Photo: Getty Images