MUMBAI, India, May 1 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202641049912 A) filed by Easwari Engineering College; and Srm Institute Of Science And Technology, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on April 20, for 'thermally-regenerative autonomous robotic platform.'
Inventor(s) include Sakthimurugan D; Sree Vathsan M; Siva Gokul T; and Vaithiswaran P.
The application for the patent was published on May 1, under issue no. 18/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The system includes a thermoelectric generation (TEG) array which uses the Seebeck effect through its bismuth-telluride semiconductor junction that connects a high-temperature thermal gradient with a convective heat-sink interface. The system includes an inductive DC-DC boost converter which connects to the TEG array to convert low-voltage transients into a stable charging voltage. The system contains a high-density 18650 lithium-ion electrochemical reservoir which connects to the boost converter through a uni-directional current protection circuit. The device continuously collects environmental and excess heat energy which it uses to create steady direct current (DC) output that enables repeated charging of the onboard energy storage system while the robot operates. 2. The Thermally-Regenerative Autonomous Robotic platform according to Claim 1 consists of an integrated propulsion system and an operational control system. The system features a multi-axle drivetrain which the pulse-width modulation (PWM) L298N H-bridge actuator controls to operate using power from 18650 lithium-ion batteries. The system intelligence operates through an embedded Raspberry Pi 4 system-on-chip (SoC) which receives power from a secondary buck-regulation stage that provides stable logic-level operation. The platform uses a machine-vision optical sensor to conduct real-time obstacle detection and pathfinding while an I2C telemetry module shows the current system voltage and thermal energy harvesting operation. The integrated system design guarantees that the collected thermal energy will first be used to power high-demand mechanical systems while providing energy for low-power computing processes, which allows the system to move through thermally active spaces without external power. 3. The thermoelectric module in the system described by claim 1 function through its combination of p-type and n-type semiconductor parts which create an electrical series connection and establish a thermal parallel connection. 4. The system described in claim 1 needs a heat absorption unit because it operates with either a heat exchanger or a conductive plate or a thermal interface material to enhance its heat transfer capabilities. 5. The system's compact design enables straightforward integration with automotive exhaust systems and industrial equipment and various electronic devices according to the initial statement. 6. The system described in claim 1 operates with a generator that functions without any moving components which results in reduced maintenance requirements and improved operational reliability."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
