Proof of Concept Awards

This proof‑of‑concept project supports the development of a portable, point‑of‑use robotic water disinfection system that enables rapid, chemical‑free treatment of contaminated water for individual users in everyday and emergency settings. The technology leverages a novel electrically driven disinfection approach to achieve high bacterial removal efficiency with extremely low energy consumption, while remaining scalable across different water volumes and usable in all weather conditions. The awarded funding advances prototype design, optimization, and validation, positioning the technology for future commercialization and deployment to improve access to safe drinking water.

A new photoelectrochemical approach is advancing low‑cost, scalable green hydrogen production by fabricating high‑performance photoelectrodes using processes comparable to silicon solar‑cell manufacturing. The technology has already demonstrated wafer‑scale devices with solar‑to‑hydrogen efficiencies approaching key DOE cost benchmarks, with clear pathways to further performance gains through optimization and nanopatterning. Proof‑of‑concept funding enabled full‑wafer prototype development and system‑level validation to position the technology for scale‑up, industry partnerships, and future commercialization.

A next‑generation lung biopatch is being developed to rapidly seal air leaks following lung resection, addressing a common postoperative complication that drives prolonged hospital stays, patient discomfort, and significant healthcare costs. The fibrous patch combines mussel‑inspired wet adhesion, mechanical reinforcement, and tissue‑integrating architecture to withstand high airway pressures while conforming to delicate lung tissue. Proof of concept funding supports prototype fabrication and rigorous benchtop and ex vivo testing to establish performance benchmarks needed to advance toward in vivo validation and future clinical translation.

Hydrogel‑mediated radiofrequency ablation is being developed to improve cardiac rhythm therapy by enhancing energy transfer between ablation catheters and heart tissue, enabling more uniform lesion formation while reducing dangerous hot spots. By improving thermal control, this approach aims to lower arrhythmia recurrence rates and minimize complications that currently affect a significant fraction of the millions of patients undergoing cardiac ablation each year. Proof of Concept funding supports prototype fabrication, benchtop and ex vivo validation, and thermal modeling to de‑risk the technology and advance its translation toward commercialization through an established startup partner.

This project supports the development of Camp Cura, an AI‑assisted immersive mobile platform designed to improve asthma self‑management and healthcare transition readiness for adolescents and young adults, with a focus on underserved and minority populations. By combining real‑time symptom tracking, personalized AI coaching, and a highly engaging, game‑based virtual environment, Camp Cura aims to increase adherence, self‑efficacy, and long‑term asthma control. Proof‑of‑concept funding advances the build and testing of a minimum viable product, positioning the technology for clinical validation and commercialization through a startup venture.

Colon cancer polyps have a high degree of variation in stiffness, morphology, and sizes across patients, making early polyp detection and classification a imperfect when performing a standard colonoscopy. UT engineers and physicians are developing a new four-dimensional AI-enabled imaging system for the early diagnosis of colon cancer using a novel inflatable tactile sensor and complementary artificial intelligence algorithms.

Early and accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer polyps is important but difficult due to the high degree or variation in stiffness, shape, and size of polyps across patients. Dr. Farshid Alambeigi’s team at UT Austin in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center are developing an interactive artificial intelligence system that couples with their vision-based tactile sensor to non-invasively and accurately help clinicians detect and classify colon polyps.

Over 350,000 spinal fixation (SF) operations are performed each year in the US, with rigid screw fixation being the gold-standard procedure, even though 22-50% of normal patients and >90% of osteoporotic patients will require an additional revision surgery due to screw pullout or loosening. UT engineers have invented a steerable drill and flexible screws that bend and curve to ensure the screws are secured in less-osteoporotic regions and minimize the risk of surgical failure, which should lead to better surgical outcomes.

Current orthopedic drills can only drill in a straight line, making surgeries involving complex anatomies more time consuming and less successful. UT engineers have invented a handheld steerable drill for surgeries that require curved trajectories, allowing more efficient and more successful procedures.

Nearly 300 thousand patients are currently living with a spinal cord injury that typically requires surgery that has no ability to restore the loss of neurological function, resulting in a life-long disability. UT scientists have invented a first-in-class drug product and procedure to restore spinal cord integrity and function.

Novel conductive polymer devices are being developed to harvest diffuse environmental energy from air and humidity, creating a self‑charging power source for wearable electronics that reduces reliance on bulky, rigid batteries. The technology leverages controlled phase separation in PEDOT:PSS gels to deliver continuous, stable power output and can be scaled from single devices to arrays capable of meeting real‑world wearable sensor demands. Proof‑of‑concept funding advances device optimization, scaling, and demonstration in practical wearable systems to enable future partnerships and commercialization in the rapidly growing wearable electronics market.

Water scarcity is a global issue, especially when striving for more sustainable agriculture. Engineer Guihua Yu and his team are further developing a super moisture-absorbent gel that can extract water from the air to create a self-watering soil.