Ankit Srivastava

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About

Ankit Srivastava is a rising leader in the emerging field of soft robotics, where his work bridges the gap between highly compliant materials and the precision typically reserved for rigid machines. His primary research focuses on the control, locomotion, and shape estimation of soft robotic systems, particularly boundary-constrained and modular swarms. Srivastava’s most notable contribution is the introduction of cable-driven jamming in soft robots, a technique that allows these flexible machines to reversibly stiffen and exert greater forces without sacrificing adaptability—a breakthrough detailed in his most-cited work (16 citations). He has also pioneered the application of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to soft robots, enabling them to navigate and estimate their own shape using only on-board local sensors, a critical step toward autonomous operation in unstructured environments. Further demonstrating his innovative approach to shape control, Srivastava has adapted R-functions from constructive solid geometry to direct the morphing of soft robot bodies. His work is defining new capabilities for soft robotics, moving the field from passive compliance toward active, intelligent, and high-performance systems.