Papers
1
Total Citations
11
H-Index
1
About
Dr. P. Pharpatara is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of robotics, control theory, and aerospace engineering, with a primary focus on trajectory optimization and guidance systems. Their most significant contribution is the innovative application of sampling-based path planning—a technique common in robotics—to the complex problem of missile guidance. In their highly cited 2013 paper, "Missile trajectory shaping using sampling-based path planning," Dr. Pharpatara reframed missile guidance as a hybrid non-linear system navigating a heterogeneous environment. They proposed a novel algorithm that elegantly combines a sampling-based planner with Dubins' curves and a locally-optimal guidance law to find feasible trajectories. This work, which has accumulated 11 citations, demonstrates a powerful cross-disciplinary approach, showing how robotic path planning principles can solve challenging aerospace control problems. Dr. Pharpatara’s research is notable for bridging distinct engineering fields, offering a fresh perspective on trajectory shaping that has inspired further work in both robotics and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) communities.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Missile trajectory shaping using sampling-based path planning11 citations · 2013