Biography
I established the Robot-World Interaction theme at CSIRO Robotics, Data61, which looks at manipulation and mobile manipulation for field and indoor robots to assist humans in the lab and field environments. I love working towards solving the mobility challenges for robots in cluttered, dynamic and complex 3-D environments. I have previously worked on and am currently working on addressing the mobility challenges for:
* field mobile manipulation for physical interaction with deformable environments (vegetation, soil, etc),
* magnetic foot climbing robots for industrial and confined space inspection (Magneto project),
* heritage monitoring using modular field robots in Peel Island (off the coast of Brisbane, Australia)
* a 30-DoF legged robot capable of deforming its body configuration to traverse narrow passage in confined spaces,
* autonomous kayaks for environmental monitoring in choppy and busy Singapore Harbour,
* mobility-on-demand service with autonomous vehicles in busy and crowded Singapore roads,
* remote operations with autonomous vehicles for an O&G plant in Australia,
* people following with service robots in crowded canteen environments in NUS campus.
Professional Areas
Current Roles
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(2023- Present) Team Leader: Robotic Autonomy Team, Cyber Physical Systems Program, D61
TL role -
(2022- 2025) Research Theme Lead (CPS): Robot World Interaction
I coordinate and facilitate activities within CPS-Robotics Group on research and projects on physical interaction with arms on a mobile robot. -
(2015 - 2022) Cluster leader for inspection robotics
Engaging with industry to provide input on current robotics capabilities and develop a project portfolio for the RASG. -
(2021 - 2022) Subcomponent lead Physical Interaction (Reimagine Farming)
Lead a team of research scientist and engineers to develop and demonstrate a prototype mobile manipulation able to interact with vegetation in natural environments. -
(2015 - 2020) Research lead for modular robotics
Leading a group of students on development on field deployable modular mobility modules, eg NeWheel -
(2015 - 2020) Research and Project lead for climbing robots
Developing science and engaging with industry in commercialising Magneto platform for infrastructure inspection -
(2018 - 2019) AIM FSP Test Bed Leader : Morphing Machines
Lead a group of research scientists at CSIRO in developing a proposal for “Morphing Machines” to address the need for exploiting deformation in robot shapes to address field applications of search and rescue and complex navigation. -
(July 2018 - Dec 2019) Project leader for Woodside AGV engagement
Development of autonomous vehicle capability for mapping and inspection of O&G plants.
Academic Qualifications
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2015
Complexity Summer School (20% Acceptance Rate)
Santa Fe Institute, USA -
2010
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
National University of Singapore, Singapore -
2001
B.Tech
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India
Professional Experiences
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2024-present
Principal Research Scientist
CSIRO -
2019-2024
Senior Research Scientist
CSIRO -
2013-2019
Research Scientist
CSIRO -
2013-2013
Research Scientist
Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology -
2010-2012
Post Doc Scholar (Future Urban Mobility)
Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology -
2008-2010
Post Doc Scholar (Center for Environmental Sensing and Monitoring)
Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology -
2001-2003
Software Engineer
DELMIA Robotics Pvt. Ltd
Other highlights
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2025-2025
Represented Australian Robotics at World Expo Osaka 2025. Gave a talk in-front of international audience on role of Robotics and AI in hazard response.
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2024-2024
Lead a multi-disciplinary team towards an integration and successful demonstration of a fully autonomous mobile manipulator to pick a science sample in an outdoor environment.
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2021-2021
Co-wrote the Autonomous Rover specification for ASA with NASA to put an Australian Rover on the moon.
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2019-2020
Basic research to commercialization of Magneto. Established a world class confined space legged inspection platform category that was successfully adopted by Australian SME.
Grants
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2022-2026
(ARC) ARC Discovery Grant
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2018-2020
(NEXXIS) Magneto Platform Development
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2018-2019
(Woodside) Autonomous Ground Robot Demonstration
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2014-2014
(ASC) Confined space inspection scoping project
Community and Corporate Citizenship
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2020-2025
General Secretary of Australasian Association for Robotics and Automation
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2017-present
Moderator for Australian-NZ robotics mailing list
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2019-2024
Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
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2022-2023
Area Chair for Robotics Science and Systems (RSS)
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2019-2020
General Chair for Australasian Robotics and Automation Association
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2019-2020
Program Committee Multi-Robot and Multi-Agent Systems
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2016-2016
Program Committee Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation
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2015-2016
Associate Editor IEEE International Conference for Robotics and Automation
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2008-present
Reviewer of numerous papers for IJRR, ICRA, IROS, SIMPAR, RAL, Autonomous Systems, ISRR etc