Teen wins $100,000 science fair prize for origami-inspired folding simulation program
Hikaru Kuribayashi, an 18-year-old from Hokkaido, Japan, won the $100,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Arizona. Inspired by origami patterns he observed in nature, Kuribayashi spent six months developing a simulation program using the Julia programming language and Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms to predict complex folding outcomes. The program, created with guidance from a University of Tokyo lab, aims to improve engineering applications such as compact solar panels and portable emergency shelters for disaster-prone regions like Japan. Kuribayashi beat over 1,700 high school students from around the world. He credited his family and teachers for their support and said the competition allowed him to gain new perspectives from other young scientists.
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