A technology with roots in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering is moving rapidly from concept to real-world testing, offering a new approach to preventing frostbite in extreme environments.
FrostByte Defense Technologies, a startup co-founded by Jakob Travis, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering, has created an autonomous heated glove liner that helps protect users’ hands in freezing conditions. The technology monitors tissue temperature and automatically activates heating when it detects a risk of frostbite.
The project began through the University of Utah’s Remote and Austere Conditions (RAC) Grand Challenge, a research competition focused on developing solutions for challenging environments where medical care and resources may be limited. There, Scott McIntosh, professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and its Wilderness Medicine Section Chief, teamed up with Emergency Medicine adjuncts Brendan Milliner and Mack Brickley, along with Jacob A. George, the Solzbacher-Chen Endowed Professor in Price Engineering’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Eccles School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
FrostByte was one of the winning teams in the 2024 competition, which is now known as High Tech West. Jakob Travis led the development and integration of the idea, originally as a Master’s project, which has since blossomed into a legitimate start-up.
“I was interested in this project because I got frostbite in 2022, after completing my undergrad in ECE from UC Santa Barbara,” says Travis. “I was traveling in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan doing volunteering work for a local tribe and during that time a winter storm surprised us.”
“When I got to the hospital, there was a line out the door; everyone had frostbite,” he says.
High Tech West is an annual pitch competition that supports research and technology for national defense, aerospace and medicine in extreme environments. The challenge also helps connect university researchers with partners in government and industry to develop and test new technologies.
Engineering a Solution for Extreme Cold
Frostbite is a serious risk for people working or operating in extremely cold temperatures. In many cases, damage can begin before someone realizes their hands are in danger.
FrostByte’s engineering solution focuses on early detection and automatic response. The glove liner includes small sensors that continuously monitor tissue temperature. When the system detects conditions linked to frostbite risk, targeted heating warms individual fingers only when necessary. The system operates autonomously and does not require a user interface.
The liner is designed to fit under standard cold-weather gloves, weighs about 37 grams per pair and has been verified to operate in temperatures as low as -45°F. The first generation prototype can monitor temperature for up to two months and provide active warming for up to eight hours when needed. Through clever engineering, the team is targeting a battery life that would enable temperature monitoring for years on end, with weeks’ worth of active warming.
Research and Testing
The original FrostByte proposal focused on a wearable temperature monitoring system to prevent frostbite in remote and austere environments. After winning funding through the RAC Grand Challenge in 2024, the team used the support to continue developing the technology and expand the project into a startup company.
Since then, FrostByte has worked with clothing developers to ensure the technology can be integrated into gloves used across different industries. The goal is to create a system that remains flexible and easy to use while protecting people who work in cold conditions. Potential users include people in maritime work, construction, freight and outdoor industries, as well as military personnel operating in cold environments, and of course our own Utah winter enthusiasts. FrostByte was a top finalist for an extremely competitive Army whitepaper pitch competition, xTech Search 9
As the technology develops, the FrostByte team has begun testing prototype systems in tangible conditions. Most recently, the company worked with U.S. Special Operations Command during a military exercise in Fairbanks, Alaska. During the exercise, prototype glove systems were tested in temperatures as low as -45°F. Multiple prototypes were deployed alongside Special Forces personnel to gather performance data and feedback from users.
Looking Ahead
FrostByte is continuing to develop its frostbite mitigation technology while expanding prototype testing in the field and getting the product on the shelves.
The company is working with manufacturing partners to move from prototype testing to commercial products within the next two years.