Kirti Mishra, PhD
Assistant Professor
About
I am passionate about applying dynamics and control principles to address problems of societal value and integrating the knowledge generated into my teaching. My past work includes applications in automotive systems, renewable energy generation, and, more recently, robotics. Through these projects, I have developed theoretically sound learning control methods that have a broader impact.
Educational & Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Manufacturing Engineering, Western Washington University (Fall 2024 - Present)
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, New York Institute of Technology (Fall 2022 – Summer 2024)
Post-doctoral Research Scholar, Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University (Fall 2020 – Summer 2022)
Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University (Spring 2016 – Summer 2020)
Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University (Fall 2013 – Fall 2015)
Bachelor of Technology, Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Trichy (Fall 2009 – Spring 2013)
Recent Publications
Check out my Google Scholar page.
Research Interests
Dynamics and control, data-driven and learning control, repetitive processes
Robotics: Human-robot interaction (HRI) in manufacturing and physical rehabilitation, wearable and collaborative robots; human motor control system
Mobility: Driver-vehicle interaction in modern vehicles, automotive powertrain control and automated calibration
Current Research Focus
My research lies at the intersection of control systems, data-driven methods, and robotics. I am currently focusing on the physical interaction between humans and robots, or physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). This is a challenging form of interaction for robot control as the forces involved must be ensured to be low for human safety. I am interested in wearable robots like exoskeletons and exosuits, collaborative robots, and modern vehicles, which are akin to robots due to their increased autonomy. Some of the central research questions that I am addressing are as follows:
- What are human intentions in this physical interaction?
- How do humans behave in this physical interaction? How do we characterize this behavior? What is a suitable human motor control system model?
- How do we use the resulting knowledge to design new robots that guarantee human safety while fulfilling human intentions?
Undergraduate Research
Collaborating with students is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. Over the past couple of years, I have worked with undergraduate and integrated BS-MS students on projects involving the prototyping of wearable robots and the development of models and controllers for cobots. If you are a Western student interested in the central research questions noted above, or if you have identified challenges that could be addressed through robotics, I encourage you to reach out to me.