Mark Hofacker

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About

Mark Hofacker is a pioneering researcher in the field of compact, high-energy-density power systems for robotics, with a focus on novel thermodynamic engine architectures. His major contributions center on the design, analysis, and control of free-piston engines—specifically, free-piston Stirling engines and free-liquid-piston engine compressors. Hofacker’s seminal 2008 work, “Control-based design of free-piston Stirling engines” (50 citations), introduced a control-oriented framework for characterizing these devices, moving beyond traditional thermodynamic equations of state to enable their use as lightweight power supplies for untethered robots. This work laid the foundation for a new class of compact power sources. He further advanced the field with his 2013 paper on the free-liquid-piston engine compressor (FLPEC), which generates high-pressure air from internal combustion for robotic applications. Hofacker’s research directly addresses the critical challenge of energy density in autonomous systems, bridging the gap between thermodynamic theory and practical, controllable hardware. His work remains influential for engineers and roboticists seeking to power the next generation of mobile, untethered machines.