How this 18-year-old’s love of origami helped him win a $100,000 at a science fair

Hikaru Kuribayashi won top prize at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May. Chris Ayers/Chris Ayers Photography/License by Society for Science Hikaru Kuribayashi, 18, won $100,000 at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Kuribayashi created a simulation program that predicts complex folding, like origami patterns. His love of origami and nature inspired his research. Growing up on Japan's northernmost island allowed Hikaru Kuribayashi to immerse himself in nature, where origami patterns are everywhere. "Imagine a tiny ladybug," Kuribayashi, 18, told Business Insider. "That ladybug actually uses origami patterns to fold and expand its wings." Leaves. Flower petals. Insect wings. He'd often notice the intricate patterns while traversing the Hokkaido prefecture's sprawling forests and mountains. Kuribayashi, however, believed origami's influence on nature could reach beyond artistic inspiration. Hikaru Kuribayashi traveled from Japan to Arizona to compete in this year's competition.