Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has once again demonstrated its commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship as Team Excel secured second place at the Oluseun Onigbide Resource Center IDEATION 2026 competition, held in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, from May 29 to 30, 2026.

The competition brought together 11 teams and individual innovators from across Ogbomoso to present practical solutions leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), data, and next-generation technologies to address challenges in agriculture, education, healthcare, safety, and waste management. Team Excel, comprising Oladele Goodness (Civil Engineering), Okanlawon Obaloluwa (Human Anatomy), and Rojaiye Mayowa (Survey and Geoinfomatics), was mentored by Professor T. B. Asafa, Director of the Centre for Emerging Skill and Technology (CEST), LAUTECH.

The team’s innovation, InfantGuard is a portable child health screening device designed to support the early detection of pneumonia and respiratory distress in low-resource communities. The system combines a MAX30102 pulse oximeter sensor to measure oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and heart rate with an omnidirectional MEMS microphone that captures breathing and cough sounds associated with respiratory illnesses. Their innovative solution earned them Third place place, along with a cash prize of ₦300,000, mentorship opportunities, and strategic support for further development.

As part of future development, InfantGuard will incorporate AI-powered clinical decision support to analyze cough sounds, breathing patterns, oxygen saturation, and heart rate in real time. The system will provide more accurate risk assessments for pneumonia and respiratory distress while generating actionable recommendations for healthcare workers. Future enhancements will include a mobile application, cloud-based patient records, and community health dashboards to support large-scale deployment across Primary Health Care centers and rural communities.