Students in the Biomedical Engineering program at the University of Colorado created an award-winning residual limb warmer for winter para-athletes. The warming device, inspired by the ruggedness of winter jackets and ski boots, uses an integrated, multilayered system to prevent discomfort and long-term complications in cold-exposed residual limbs. The students took home the Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies Prize in the Design by Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, a competition that recognizes undergraduate student teams working on innovative solutions for unmet health and clinical problems.
As part of the recognition, the team—known as Buffalo H.I.D.E. (Heated Integrated Device for Extremities)—received $15,000 for their novel approach to assistive technology. The award will help them expand their project scope and raise awareness for para-athletes and prosthetic users.
“It’s an honor to have our work recognized on a national level and highlighted as a project with real potential to make a difference,” said team member Cassie Eisen on behalf of the team. “We see this as an opportunity not only to continue developing similar projects, but also to encourage more innovation and education in this space.”
Buffalo H.I.D.E. was one of only 14 winning projects and five honorable mentions to receive an award. The project was praised by competition judges for its ability to address a “uniquely vulnerable population of amputees who are susceptible to cold-related injury during extended outdoor exposure.”
The competition received 119 applications from 64 universities in 29 states, with nearly 500 students participating for over $190,000 in prizes.
Earlier this year, as part of the Biomedical Engineering program’s capstone senior design course, the team brought the limb warmer to the Project S.E.R.V.E. (Student Engineering for Resilience of Veterans and Emergency Responders) National Design Competition, working with Daniel ‘Doc’ Jacobs, the 2026 US Para Bobsled national champion.
