Siddharth Vazhkudai
7th Grade, Running Brushy Middle School
Cedar Park, TX
AIM-BASE: AI-Integrated Model To Predict the Energy Consumption of Extra-Terrestrial Colonies
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Project Background
Siddharth has been fascinated with energy conservation since he came across a museum exhibit years ago “It was a game where one managed energy sources to sustain a moderately large city. I loved it. That night, I started looking up how different energy sources work and how they’re used to power things,” he says. Later, he became interested in space, especially colonies on Mars. “When I learned about the science fair, I wanted to combine those two passions—energy and space,” he says.
Tactics and Results
Siddharth decided to create a computer model that could predict the energy needs of a Martian colony. “Before starting my project, I researched technologies like MOXIE, which produces oxygen from Martian CO₂, and studied the environmental conditions that must be modeled for life on Mars,” he says. He considered different life requirements on Mars: Water, oxygen agriculture for food production, infrastructure like plumbing and electricity, energy production, and of course, scientific experiments. Siddharth used Python to code analytical models and combined it with artificial intelligence. He trained the AI on Earth environments like deserts and Antarctic research stations, so that it would adjust the energy consumption and resource allocation as needed. He showed that this model “AIM-BASE,” can switch technologies under different conditions, and propose better ways to use energy, like reducing heating. He hopes that models like his could someday help manage life on the red planet.
Beyond the Project
Siddharth may love space, but plants keep him down-to-Earth. “I believe that the need of the hour is to combat deforestation which can reduce the effects of climate change. I volunteer for an organization called TreeFolks, where we plant thousands of native plants around Austin. I also volunteer at a ranch-size animal shelter, clearing enclosures and caring for the animals,” he says. “Gardening offers another wonder: tending seedlings with my grandfather and learning patience as each sprout grows.” He would like to become an astrophysicist.
