Neha Bhattachan
Papers
1
Total Citations
8
H-Index
1
About
Neha Bhattachan is a robotics researcher whose work centers on rough-terrain locomotion and the development of resilient, bio-inspired mobility systems for extreme environments. Her most-cited paper, “How Strong a Kick Should be to Topple Northeastern’s Tumbling Robot?” (2024, 8 citations), addresses a fundamental challenge in planetary exploration: ensuring that unconventional rovers can withstand unpredictable impacts while navigating rocky, uneven surfaces. This research emerged from her participation in NASA’s Breakthrough, Innovative & Game-changing (BIG) Idea competition, a prestigious challenge that invites US academic institutions to propose novel mobility concepts under the agency’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. Bhattachan’s work directly contributes to the design of tumbling robots—a class of vehicles that roll rather than walk or drive—by quantifying the external forces that could destabilize them. Her findings help engineers set safety margins for control algorithms and structural design, making these robots more viable for missions to the Moon, Mars, or asteroids. By bridging theoretical mechanics with practical robotics, Bhattachan is helping to shape the next generation of autonomous explorers, where resilience and adaptability are as critical as precision.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1How Strong a Kick Should be to Topple Northeastern’s Tumbling Robot?8 citations · 2024