The HAGENT works very similarly to a Roomba. But instead of vacuuming up dust and dirt, the HAGENT moves around a room in order to control the temperature.
Created by German design duo Andreas Meinhardt and Daniel Abendroth, the HAGENT is succinctly described as passive mobile heating. Second prize winner at the Prix Émile Hermès 2011, experts saw the benefit of having a roaming robot distribute heat and cold accordingly in a room. The designers explain that the HAGENT "can indentify and absorbe the surplus energy from heat emitting sources. It stores, moves and releases the energy on places where the heat is needed." That ability is very energy-efficient and eco-friendly.
The HAGENT accomplishes this with the help of built-in sensors and phase-change material commonly used in passive houses that can store heat.
Mobile Heating Devices
The HAGENT is Like the Roomba for Temperature Control
Trend Themes
1. Passive Mobile Heating - The HAGENT serves as an example of how passive mobile heating can become a growing trend in home temperature control solutions, creating opportunities for energy-efficient and eco-friendly innovation in the industry.
2. Roaming Smart Devices - The HAGENT could lead to a new class of roaming smart devices that can independently identify and perform tasks according to the needs of their environment, opening up innovation opportunities in autonomous and adaptive device technology.
3. Phase-change Material Applications - The HAGENT's use of phase-change material to store and distribute heat presents potential for new applications of the technology in building construction and other industries that require sustainable and efficient temperature control solutions.
Industry Implications
1. Home Heating Technology - The HAGENT's unique approach to temperature control for homes highlights a niche in the market for innovative and sustainable heating technology, emphasizing opportunities for product development in the industry.
2. Robotics - The HAGENT's mobility and autonomous temperature control abilities exemplify a potential future for robotics in smart homes, presenting opportunities for developing new products in the field.
3. Building and Construction - The HAGENT's use of phase-change material technology and energy-efficient approach to heating presents opportunities for creating more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions in building and construction, particularly in the areas of insulation and heating systems.