“More than 2.5 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.”