A HEATER WITH A BRAIN--AND WHEELS

Got a room with a stubborn cold spot? The H-agent, a black cube on wheels from two designers in Stuttgart, Germany, is on the case. Heat-seeking sensors direct this robotic space heater, powered by an electric motor, to the warmest part of a room, where heat is trapped and absorbed by the dark surface and a waxy substance inside that melts and freezes at temperatures much higher than water. (Such material is used in energy-efficient buildings to catch midday heat and release it over time.) The H-agent then migrates to a chilly area, using infrared sensors to avoid obstacles along the way, and redistributes warmth. H-agents can work solo, as in an apartment, or in swarms, for an office building. A prototype won second prize in the 2011 Prix Émile Hermès.