Abhinaba Bhattacharjee

Purdue University West Lafayette, Oklahoma State University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Abhinaba Bhattacharjee is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of surgical robotics and tactile sensing, with additional expertise in socially assistive human-robot interaction. His most impactful work introduces a paradigm shift in Robot-assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (RMIS) by addressing a critical limitation: the over-reliance on visual cues at the expense of tactile perception. In his highly cited 2024 paper, "SeeBelow," Bhattacharjee demonstrates a novel framework for sub-dermal 3D reconstruction of tumors using force-modulated surgical palpation and tactile exploration. This work enables surgeons to localize, estimate geometry and depth, and dexterously explore abnormal tissue stiffness beneath the surface—a capability previously absent in RMIS. With 5 citations already, this contribution is rapidly gaining recognition for its potential to enhance surgical precision and patient outcomes. Earlier in his career, Bhattacharjee explored socially assistive robotics, developing a real-time face motion-based approach for wireless robot control integrated with voice recognition (2015, 3 citations). This work addressed the complex interplay between planning, sensing, and control in human-robot interaction. Bhattacharjee’s research is distinguished by its translation of fundamental tactile sensing principles into practical surgical tools, bridging the gap between robotic perception and clinical application.