Hi, I’m Neehal Sharrma!
(And yes, there’s two r’s in my name. Long story.)
I’m a researcher, roboticist, and educator making deep-tech solutions to hard, physical problems increasingly inexpensive and accessible to everyone at home, in the office, out in the field, or on the factory floor.
My research explores how advancements in soft robotics towards better robot grippers and sensors can lend itself to the development of better prosthetic and bionic limbs, enhancing the human experience for wearers when performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). My insight comes from my varied experiences applying robotics in different fields such as warehouse automation, agrotech, and military marine operations. I love to push the limits of what’s possible with the technology of today, driven by a love to live on the bleeding edge and a zeal for the unknown.
When I’m not in the lab working on my research, I serve as the Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL) at Open Horizon® Robotics, an open-source non-profit group democratizing accessible robotics education. As an avid educator and a staunch advocate of the potential of open-source technology, I leverage the multiplicative power of the community to ease the learning journey based on my own experience navigating the landscape. I also provide academic and career counselling for students and recently graduated working professionals, acting as a soundboard for their ideas and amplifying and streamlining the best among them.
In my free time, I like to indulge my (as my friends like to call it) ‘obsessive completionism’: always on the lookout for the next titbit of obscure trivia, internet culture, music, and what have you. If my meticulously maintained library of 50-odd Spotify playlists — each at least 3 hours long, mind you — didn’t clue you in, perhaps my massive Steam library of 100%-ed games or my surgically organized calendars planned weeks in advance might :3
Juggling so many hats and hobbies is quite the task, but I always try to find time to rest and reflect. I use this space as a personal archive of my thoughts — a wall that I can throw stuff at to see what sticks. While I intend to focus on technical opinions and speculative research, I may also use this as a space to philosophize and ramble; I must clarify, though, that any criticism from me does not imply hostility of any kind―the world’s chaotic enough as it is for me to add fuel to that fire.
My Journey So Far…
Mars Rover Manipal
Research Subsystem Member / Mentor
Aug. 2018 — May. 2021
As part of the first cohort of the newly-established research subsystem, I helped establish the mechanical division of the subsystem, leading exploratory research in domestic applications of 7-DoF manipulators. This exploratory research help us better understand robot kinematics and dynamics, which further pushed the boundaries of what we as a team could achieve with the robotic arm atop our rover. With the advent of the COVID-19 lockdown, while we weren’t able to return to campus for the next two years, I ensured that we documented and passed down our knowledge to the new leaders of the team.
MIT Manipal Mechatronics
Peer Programme Coordinator
Jul. 2019 — Jun. 2022
As I entered the second year, I was able to join the mechatronics peer programme as a peer teacher owing to my MRM experience greatly improving my applied knowledge of mechatronics. I played the role of an academic advisor, helping students with any issues they were facing in their academic journey and reporting issues faced during classes to the faculty. This also enabled me to work closely with the department of mechatronics and assist with minor administrative activities. I also lead the publication of the first ever edition of the yearly technical department magazine fully curated by a student editorial team!
Institute of Engineers (IE) Mechatronics Manipal
Mechanical Head / Event Organizer
Jul. 2020 — May. 2021
With my MRM experience under my belt, I sought to join some engineering organizations. I initially joined the team as Event Head for Fuze, a product design competition on Autodesk Fusion 360, during TechTatva 2019, before further expanding the scope of my contributions as a subsystem head. I supervised a cross-subsystem project to design and develop a proof-of-concept implementation of an AGV for warehouse automation applications. Having taken a more proactive approach during my time at MRM, I took the back seat this time, allowing team members the space to fail forward without consequence and explore new ideas.
Seoul National University
Student Assistant, Nano/Micro Systems Laboratory
Oct. 2021 — Jan. 2022
During the pandemic, I sought to upskill myself and spent that summer grinding through certifications and projects. I had never really known about how academic research works, so when I found the opportunity to work remotely on a research project I wasted no time grabbing it. Our work involved soft tactile sensing using the principles of SAR for detecting surface imperfections, and I assisted with the experiment design and data processing. This was the first time I was exposed to the field of soft robotics, and while at the time I thought of it as an interesting experience, little did I know that it would form a core part of my own research moving forward!
International Society of Automation (ISA) Manipal
President
Jul. 2020 — May. 2021
Continuing my involvement in engineering organizations, I was brought in to solve the challenge of reviving an already existing, albeit inactive, chapter. The pandemic thrust me into multiple concurrent leadership positions across IE-Mechatronics, ISA Manipal and the Mechatronics Peer Programme, but luckily, I could leverage their uniques synergies to bring much greater impact than they could’ve made individually. After ending my term as president, I continued advising the new executive board in an official capacity as I entered my final year of my undergraduate degree and set my sights on farther horizons.
IIT-Bombay e-Yantra Robotics
eYRC Pre-Finalist / Campus Ambassador
Aug 2021. — Apr. 2022
The e-Yantra Robotics Competition was a great way to spend time during the pandemic, locked away at home. It gave me the opportunity to explore areas of robotics completly different from what I’d studied or worked with previously in a competitive environment, and the learn-first model they follewed helped me strengthen my fundamentals. I sought to spread the word of this competition to the whole college, and thus, as campus ambassador, I conducted workshops, moderated support forums, and guided teams on best practices and provided resources for them to succeed.
Dassault Systèmes
ENOVIA Industry Process Consultant Intern
Jun. — Dec. 2022
Having spent a lot of time in deep, technical problems in Manipal, after graduating, I decided to explore the corporate lifestyle. Dassault was a dream come true for me in more ways than one: I got to work for the very company whose products I’d been using for so long, while also gaining some valuable work experience! Conducting trainings for new customers to our software from the automotive and manufacturing industries helped me push my cold calling and communication skills and sharpened my critical thinking. While my time there felt shorter than it was, this experience helped me in many areas of my future career.
Aerospace Engineers Pvt Ltd., The Salem Aeropark
Systems Engineer, Autonomous and Undersea Systems Division
Jan. — Jun. 2023
Having tasted the corporate life, I was now itching for some boots-on-the-ground experience, and the field of underwater robotics came calling. Working closely with the Indian Navy, we pioneered Neerakshi, a cutting-edge flagship Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for Mine Countermeasures & Anti-Submarine Warfare (MC-ASW) and other critical defence deployments, all based off a novel software architecture platform. I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute in my small way to India’s overall development and national security.
WPI FORW-RD NRT Program
MS Trainee / Outreach Committee Member
Aug. 2023 — Aug. 2025
As someone interested in research but without any idea where to even begin, I was fortunate to have stumbled across the FORW-RD program during my college search. The program trained me in interdisciplinary research and ethics and enabled me to work with researchers, industry leaders and founders from diverse backgrounds. I was also active in the FORW-RD Outreach Committee, organizing outreach activities in the local Worcester area.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
Manipal Vice-Chair / WPI Treasurer & Chair / CASE Social Media Ambassador
May 2021 — Feb. 2022 / Aug. 2024 — Present / Aug. 2025
I wasn’t really familiar with IEEE as an organization until late in my undergrad, so when I saw that the Manipal student chapter of IEEE-RAS was seeking exec board members I figured I’d find out what it was. That kicked off a series of events and experiences that have helped me not only understand the worth of building communities of engineers and researchers, but also appreciate the work done by these organizations spark discussion about pressing topics and create standards to better guide further research and engineering development.
WPI Launch / Frontiers Pre-Collegiate Summer Program
Robotics Teaching Assistant
Jun. — July. 2024
Over the summer, as I took a break from the bustle of graduate student life, I had the opportunity to dip my toes back in the pond of education as a TA for the WPI Launch and Frontiers Summer Programs. Aimed at rising middle and high school students, these summer programs build foundational robotics skills using VEX Robots in a project-based learning environment. This was an insightful glimpse into how the K-12 education system in the US offers opportunities for extracurricular development that India lacks, and gave me some great ideas to incorporate into my own career goals.
WPI Soft Robotics Lab
Graduate Researcher / MS Thesis
Aug. 2023 — Present
SRL formed the core of my experience at WPI as my first ever foray into self-directed academic research! My research explored how soft robotics can be used to develop better bionic limbs, exoskeletons and other human augmentation devices, enhancing the human experience for wearers when performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). My thesis work emphasized the efficacy of soft robotic hands as an elegant alternative to typical rigid hands, integrating soft tactile sensors with a fully soft anthropomorphic hand to simulate major grasping aspects of the human hand.
WPI Research Experience for Teachers (RET) STEM Program
Graduate Research Assistant
Jul. — Oct. 2025
After graduating from WPI, as I wrapped up my research in the lab over the summer, I was offered another opportunity to deepen my work in education. I participated in the WPI Research Experience for STEM Teachers (RET-STEM) program, where K-12 educators from middle and high school worked in various WPI labs and adapted their research to school lesson plans for the upcoming academic year. Working with the teachers taught me a lot about how things that I took for granted as a student actually have a lot of care and effort behind them, and I made some fulfilling connections through the program!
Open Horizon Robotics
Founder & Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)
Aug. 2021 — Jun. 2022 / Jun. 2023 — Present
Previously known as Manipal Robotics Support Group back when I’d started it as a small forum for students at Manipal, I decided to take that initial idea and run with it. As the Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL), I mentor a core team of students and professionals spread across educational institutions in India and the US. I curate educational resources, supervise open-source projects, and advise translational interdisciplinary research in fields included but not limited to Human Augmentation, Soft Robotics, Biomedical Engineering, Space Robotics, and Geospatial Mapping. Since we’re all volunteers, progress has been slow and steady, but I look forward to seeing what we as a team can achieve!
Neehal Sharrma 