Karishma Patnaik, PhD

Assistant Professor
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College of Engineering and Computer Science
Electrical and Computer Engineering
[email protected]
2094 Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems Building | 4901 Evergreen Road | Dearborn, MI 48128
schedule By email only. In office M/W.
link

Biography and Education

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Before this, I was a Postdoctoral Scholar and earned my Ph.D. at Arizona State University, where I focused on contact-rich interaction and adaptive control strategies for intelligent robotic systems, including robotic manipulators and UAVs. I enjoy building (and occasionally breaking) robots with students, mentoring learners from high school to PhD, and developing systems that challenge conventional assumptions in robotics.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 2023
  • M.Tech. in Systems and Control Engineering, IIT Bombay, 2016  

Teaching and Research

Research

My research focuses on the control of multimodal and nature-inspired robots that can morph, comply, or interact physically with their surroundings in unconventional ways. This includes aerial-ground hybrids, deformable chassis designs, and contact-aware manipulation. I develop algorithms that blend adaptive control, hybrid systems, and mechanical intelligence to enable these robots to operate reliably in uncertain, contact-rich environments.

Selected Publications

Please visit for an updated list.

Awards and Recognition

  • Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar, Faculty Women of Color Caucus, Arizona State University, 2025
  • Best Poster in NSF-IUCRC Digital Twin Workshop, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1/8-1/9, 2023
  • Finalist for Dean's Dissertation Award Spring 2023 - Arizona State University
  • The ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Division Rising Star Award in Mechatronics, 2022
  • Graduate College Completion Fellowship for Fall 2022 - Arizona State University
  • The Polytechnic School Milestone Award for Spring 2022 – Arizona State University
  • The Polytechnic School University Graduate Fellowship for Spring 2020 - Arizona State University
  • Venkatraman award for academic excellence (batch of 2013), Aeronautical Society of India, 2013
  • Abdul Kalam award for academic excellence (mathematics), Aeronautical Society of India, 2013
  • Kiran Kant award for academic excellence (women), Aeronautical Society of India, 2013