Hello, I am Siddharth. I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Virginia currently advised by Prof. Cindy Chang. My research focuses on robotics and learning. The emphasis of my research is to make robots more reliable and safer to operate in industrial environments.

Prior to joining UVA, I completed my M.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (2018). I earned my B.E. in Manufacturing Process & Automation Engineering from Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India (2014).

Research

My research aims to bring more generalizable robot and automation systems to the real-world, specifically in manufacturing settings. I emphasis on combining learning based methods (RL, BC, IL, DDPM, etc.) with analytical methods (DMPs, MPC, etc.). My goal is to build methods that easily developable, generalizable and reduce data dependency.

My background can be categorized in three parts:

• Developing learning based methods to achieve complex and intricate real-world tasks
• Designing and building physical robotic systems
• Creating and fabricating of novel mechatronic components and mechanisms

I have led and contributed to diverse projects, from developing a solar electric vehicle, to deploying navigation stacks for multi-robot teams, to designing learning frameworks that transfer human expertise to robots for better decision-making. Across these experiences, I have cultivated a broad skill set—ranging from CAD, mechanical fabrication, control theory, motion planning, and learning-based methods.

My long-term vision is to advance large-scale robotic solutions in manufacturing by reducing the cost of robot programming, enhancing online decision-making, and minimizing the need for human supervision.

Beyond research, I enjoy playing badminton, cricket, and exploring anything related to cars.