The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the higher education nonprofit VentureWell selected 11 winners in the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge. The $15,000 prize sponsored by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development went to the U-Build Bionic Knee developed by students at the University of Utah. The prosthesis generates assistive power at the knee joint, enabling ambulation on level ground, uneven terrain, and positive-power activities like sit-to-stand movement and stair ascent.
This year’s challenge included submissions from 85 teams, consisting of 362 students from 24 states. The awards will be presented on October 25 during the annual Biomedical Engineering Society conference in Maryland.
The annual DEBUT Challenge calls on teams of undergraduate students to identify healthcare problems and develop technological solutions. The partnership supports innovation and entrepreneurship training for students at a critical stage early in their careers.
