Daniel Cox developed a solar alternative to chemical weed control. The project tracks the movement of the Sun, directs radiation to unwanted plants, and received international recognition in May 2026.
Called SunRays, the system was born from a problem observed far from large laboratories. During visits to his grandparents’ farm in Bathurst, Australia, Daniel saw how herbicides were part of the agricultural routine.
The student then began to look for a way to control these plants without relying solely on chemical products or mechanical methods that till the soil and may interfere with the treated environment.
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According to a report by Adelaide Now, Daniel spent approximately eight months building and perfecting his device.
SunRays uses movable mirrors to track the Sun
The SunRays uses a series of individually controlled flat mirrors. These movable components are called heliostats and continuously adjust their position to follow the apparent movement of the Sun throughout the day.
Instead of converting sunlight into electricity, as happens with photovoltaic panels, the system directly harnesses the thermal energy present in the radiation.
The mirrors redirect the light to a central area where the weeds are located. The overlap of the reflected radiation raises the temperature of the plants and produces the thermal effect used in vegetation control.
In a report aired by Network 10 and republished by sponsor Zinfra, Daniel showed that he could connect to the system via his mobile phone through a router installed in the equipment.
The student described the components as “non-focusing” heliostats. This means that each flat mirror does not individually function as a lens or parabolic structure. The heating occurs through the joint action of several reflections directed to the same region.
The basic operation is similar to that used in large solar thermal installations. As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, heliostats are mirrors capable of tracking the Sun and reflecting its light to a designated receiver.
Inspiration came from large solar towers in Spain
While investigating possible alternatives to herbicides, Daniel found references in the solar thermal power plants built in Spain. These installations use fields of mirrors to send solar radiation to central receivers and generate heat.
The student adapted this principle for a smaller-scale agricultural application. Instead of heating a receiver installed at the top of a tower, the SunRays directs the energy to unwanted vegetation.
Industry Update reported that the agricultural inspiration arose during visits to the grandparents’ property in Bathurst, a city located in the Australian state of New South Wales.
The project’s goal was not just to demonstrate that mirrors could generate heat. Daniel sought to develop a distributed, controllable solution capable of operating without spreading herbicides over the entire area.
Project took Daniel Cox to the largest pre-university science fair
The work was selected by the Australian Science and Engineering Fair to represent Australia at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, internationally known by the acronym ISEF.
The event brought together more than 1,700 young scientists, engineers, and inventors from approximately 60 countries, regions, and territories. The 2026 edition took place from May 9 to 15 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
The dates, location, and number of participants are listed in the official record of the Society for Science, the organization responsible for the competition.
In the official ISEF 2026 program, the participant appears as Daniel Edward Cox, 16 years old, a student at The Scots College in Sydney.
The project received the code ENEV010 and was registered with the scientific title “A Distributed Solar Photothermal System for Scalable, Chemical-Free Weed Control” — a distributed solar photothermal system for scalable, chemical-free weed control.
The name SunRays, used by Daniel in interviews and public presentations, serves as a simpler identification of the prototype.
Invention received an environmental engineering award
Daniel not only presented the equipment in Phoenix. The SunRays won an award in the Environmental Engineering category at ISEF 2026.
The official list released by the Society for Science places the project among the winners of the Fourth Award, one of the award tiers in the category, with a reward of US$ 600.
The Australian Science and Engineering Fair also confirmed the recognition, the amount received, Daniel’s school, and the full title of the work.
The classification does not mean that the student achieved fourth place overall among all participants. The fair distributes different levels of awards within their respective scientific and technological categories.
Even so, the result placed the project among the works recognized by the Environmental Engineering evaluators in a competition that distributed over $7 million in prizes in 2026.
Technology gained version for aquatic weeds
After the presentation focused on thermal control of weeds, Daniel advanced to a version aimed at invasive plants in aquatic environments, called SunRays Aqua System.
The new configuration uses heliostats positioned on the shore to project a thermal field onto a receiver carried by a floating platform or drone. The structure seeks to overcome the water’s ability to absorb and dissipate heat.
According to the Stockholm Water Foundation, tests with 20 heliostats allowed surpassing 60 °C.
In experiments conducted with the aquatic species Azolla filiculoides, the highest intensity treatment reduced the dry biomass to 17% of the control group after 14 days. The result surpassed the lower intensity treatment and mechanical removal evaluated in the study.
The documentation itself classifies the solution as a proof of concept. The development still requires field-scale tests, evaluation of repeated treatments, analysis of subsequent plant growth, and biomass management.
The work shows, however, how a technology used in large solar plants can be adapted to tackle a localized agricultural and environmental problem: controlling invasive plants using the Sun’s own thermal energy.
