Autonomous thermodynamic cycles via robotic mobility and sensing

This paper presents autonomous thermodynamic cycles enabled by robotic mobility and sensing, allowing robots to perform energy conversion by accessing spatially varying temperature fields. The authors experimentally realize this concept using multistable gas-filled capsules that circulate within a thermal gradient, revealing how rapid transitions in energy states enable a mobile heat engine to harvest and store energy. By optimizing locomotion paths that balance motion cost and energy harvesting, the study demonstrates the emergence of thermodynamic cycles in autonomous systems.