A Moncton fourth-grader is in the running to have his 3D Google logo take over the Internet for a day.

Wesley Babin created a metal sculpture for the Doodle 4 Google contest that represents his vision for the country's future.

After submitting his piece titled "A Mechanical Canada," the nine-year-old is now one of 12 finalists from across Canada.

"I got the idea by just fidgeting with little metal pieces and after a while I just create stuff," he said. "I just found one little piece looked like a letter so I just made it a G or an O or all that."

Babin's mother Denise said they learned about the contest while watching Daily Planet on the Discovery Channel. She said her son already created little statues from pieces of scrap metal and old toys for three years. He always wanted to be an inventor, she said.

"He loves to think that way," she said. "If I had the choice to let him play with crazy glue, which is not the best toy in the world, or electronics, I'd rather him play with crazy glue because he's using his imagination."

Babin added that he wanted to create something that was more than just a pretty picture. So when his mom told him that he didn't have to draw a doodle, "I just went right upstairs and started building something," he said.

Nationwide competition

Babin's 3D version of the Google logo. (Doodle 4 Google)

The Doodle 4 Google contest is a nationwide competition that saw over 11,000 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 share their vision for a chance to design a new Google logo. Canadians can vote for their favourite doodles before June 2.

The winner will have their artwork featured on Google.ca for a day and win a $10,000 university scholarship, as well as a $10,000 technology award for their school. The winners of each grade group also win a $5,000 technology award for their respective schools.

"What better way to celebrate our past 150 years than by looking at the next 150 years and asking students from coast to coast about what they think Canada's future will be like," said Maria Cortellucci with Google Canada.

She added that the judging panel was surprised to receive so many entries and thrilled with the quality of the art. Students of all ages explored various topics from co-existing peacefully with nature, to innovative and eco-friendly technology, she said.

"I think really for us what was really cool about this contest ... is mixing that intersection between art and technology and really getting them thinking about what Canada's future would look like beyond flying robots and travelling to Mars," Cortellucci said.

"We really wanted to get them thinking about different ways that Canadians could evolve and our culture could evolve, so with technology and innovation, and also with multiculturalism and diversity."

Praise for Babin's design

Other sculptures Babin created were a metal scorpion and a robot. (Denise Babin)

While all the pieces of art impressed the team at Google, Cortellucci praised Babin for combining his passion with his imagination.

"He is one of the coolest kids I think I've ever had the pleasure of talking to," she said. "He basically built this 3D doodle that looks like a robot. We were completely blown away and really, really impressed by it."

Babin felt "extremely good" when he found out he was a finalist, he said. "I was amazed."

He added that his art symbolizes the technological advances he expects to see in Canada one day.

"I think there will be a lot of robots, but not saying they'll control everybody or stuff like that," he said.

He now wants to become an engineer and create machines that can help people walk again after being paralyzed, or solar panel windows that reduce electricity use.

"I just want to create stuff to help people," he said.