Nikhil X. Bhattasali

Papers

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About

Nikhil X. Bhattasali is a roboticist reimagining how machines move and manipulate the world, with a core focus on dexterous manipulation, locomotion, and bio-inspired design. His work challenges conventional hardware-software trade-offs, pioneering learning-based approaches that unlock new capabilities in robotic systems. In his highly cited 2025 paper, "RUKA: Rethinking the Design of Humanoid Hands with Learning," Bhattasali confronts the enduring tension between precision, compactness, strength, and affordability in robotic hands. By integrating learning directly into the design process, he proposes a paradigm where hardware constraints no longer dictate application limits—a contribution that has already garnered 3 citations and is reshaping conversations in the field. His 2024 paper, "Neural Circuit Architectural Priors for Quadruped Locomotion," takes a similarly bold stance: instead of relying on generic MLP policies, Bhattasali introduces neural circuit priors that embed inductive biases directly into the architecture. This reduces dependence on handcrafted rewards or imitation data, offering a more elegant path to robust, adaptive locomotion. With both papers accumulating early citations, Bhattasali is establishing himself as a rising voice in robotics, one who dares to rethink foundational assumptions and build machines that learn, adapt, and move with unprecedented fluidity.