Ammar Kothari

Oregon State University, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Ammar Kothari is a robotics researcher whose work bridges soft robotics, biomimetic locomotion, and human-inspired manipulation. His most cited paper, "Soft snake robots: Mechanical design and geometric gait implementation" (2017, 55 citations), explores how compliant, durable soft robots can navigate challenging terrain—such as swimming or crawling over rough surfaces—by implementing tunable biomimetic gaits. This work addresses the core challenge of mapping nonlinear mechanics to effective locomotion, offering design principles for next-generation soft robots. Kothari also advances robotic manipulation through human-centered studies. In "Using human studies to analyze capabilities of underactuated and compliant hands in manipulation tasks" (2018, 6 citations), he develops a novel methodology that compares robotic hand designs—underactuated versus fully actuated—by analyzing human performance, providing a framework for evaluating dexterity and compliance. Additionally, his work "Grasping Objects Big and Small: Human Heuristics Relating Grasp-Type and Object Size" (2018, 5 citations) introduces an online survey method to capture human intuition about grasp preferences for objects of varying size and shape, informing more intuitive robotic grasping strategies. Together, Kothari’s research integrates soft robotics, biomechanics, and human-robot interaction, offering practical insights for designing robots that move and manipulate with greater adaptability.