Adeyemo and Ochigbo Earned $3,500 and Will Present at BEYA 2024

AAMU freshmen engineering majors John Adeyemo and Sunday Ochigbo have advanced to the finals in the U.S. Army’s 2^nd Annual xTechHBCU Student Competition. The competition seeks novel, disruptive concepts and technology solutions from students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that can assist in tackling the Army’s current needs while strengthening relationships and collaborations between HBCU students and the Army.

The Nigerian natives and roommates who met each other on Move-In Day last fall, are excited about the opportunity to bring their ideas to life.

This year’s challenge topics are Autonomy, Chemical and Biological Sciences and Health. Both students submitted ideas under Autonomy, which the Department of Defense refers to as systems or machines that accomplish goals independently or with minimal human supervision in unpredictable environments.

“My submission was ‘Soldier Buddy: Smart Watch for Communication and Rescue,’” says Ochigbo. “It’s a smart watch that enables effective communication and decision making for fighters on the battlefield. It also tracks vital signs. If a soldier is injured, it is equipped with sensors to notify medical personnel that this person may need rescuing.”

Adeyemo’s submission: “Xai: Revolutionizing Military Operations through Intelligent Autonomy and Soldier Support.”

“The idea is to build an AI model that will help assist soldiers in making decisions on the battlefield,” said Adeyemo. “It’s designed for times where soldiers think, what should we do? Xai will come up with multiple ideas and solutions quickly. AI has made all kinds of advancements, but this would be classified, because it will be built with intelligence information specifically for the U.S. Army.”

The xTechHBCU Student Competition brings together some of the brightest minds and best ideas from students accross the nation. “It is a good opportunity for me,” adds Adeyemo. “I hope to make connections and apply for summer internships at the conference.”

Twenty students advanced to the finals and received a $3,500 cash prize that includes travel to the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year STEM Conference in Baltimore next month, where they will pitch their idea to businesses and the U.S. Army. The 1^st place winner will receive $10,500 and the chance to see their idea built and tested. 

“I was already considering going, but now xTech is covering my flight, so I’m very excited," said Ochigbo. “I’m also looking forward to presenting and meeting people at the career fair.”