/College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Anurag Purwar, PhD

Anurag PurwarAssociate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Office: Light Engineering 169

Email Address: anurag.purwar@stonybrook.edu

Phone Number: (631) 632-8542 

 

 

 

Bio:

Dr. Anurag Purwar is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University, Director of the Computer-Aided Design and Innovation Lab, and Principal Investigator of NSF I-Corps at Stony Brook. His research integrates rigid-body kinematics, machine learning, computational mechanism design, and rehabilitation robotics to advance AI-driven methods for designing and synthesizing robot mechanisms.

He has authored more than 120 scholarly works, including journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, patents, and software systems. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, SUNY Research Foundation, New York State programs, industry partners, and Stony Brook University. His innovations include MotionGen, the world’s first AI-driven mechanism design software used by more than 100,000 users in over 150 countries; SnappyXO, a modular robotics platform for STEM education licensed to A+ Mobile Solutions; and Mobility Assist, a sit-to-stand assistive device licensed to Biodex Medical Systems.

Dr. Purwar’s honors include ASME best-paper awards, SUNY Chancellor’s award for excellence in teaching, Stony Brook University’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, SUNY’s FACT2 Award, the ASEE Mid-Atlantic Distinguished Teaching Award, and election as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. He is currently the secretary and chair-elect of the ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Committee and serves as Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design.


Education:

  • Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Ph.D. 2005
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, India, B.Tech. 1995

Professional Experience:

  • Associate Professor (Tenured), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 2024 - present
  • Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 2019 - 2024
  • Research Associate Professor and SPIR Coordinator, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 2013 - 2019
  • Research Assistant Professor and SPIR Coordinator, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, 2005 - 2013
  • Junior Manager (Design), Centre for Engineering and Technology, SAIL, Ranchi, 1995-1998

Awards & Publications:

  • Margaret Ashida STEM Leadership Award by The New York State STEM Education Collaborative, 2019
  • Recipient of the A. T. Yang Award in Theoretical Kinematics for Best Paper at the 2017 ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference.
  • Recipient of the MSC Software Simulation Best Paper Award at the 2009 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences.
  • Received major teaching honors including SUNY Chancellor Award for Excellence in Teaching (2026), the SUNY FACT2 Award for Excellence in Technology and Instruction (2018), and the ASEE Mid-Atlantic Distinguished Teaching Award (2021).
  • Elected Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.
  • Developed patented and licensed technologies including MotionGen, SnappyXO, and Mobility Assist, with MotionGen used by 100,000+ users in 150+ countries.
  • Recipient of multiple innovation and commercialization awards, including the SUNY Research Foundation Technology Accelerator Fund Award, Innovate Long Island Innovator of the Year, and the SAE Top 100 Create the Future Award.

Professional Memberships & Service:

  • Chair-elect of the ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Committee
  • Senior member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). 
  • Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design.

Overview:

Dr. Anurag Purwar’s research focuses on the convergence of rigid-body kinematics, machine learning, and computational design to create new methods for synthesizing mechanisms and robots. His work develops AI-driven approaches for mechanism design, motion generation, deep generative modeling, and rehabilitation robotics, with the goal of transforming how engineers design intelligent mechanical systems. By combining theoretical kinematics with data-driven and generative methods, his research enables faster, more intuitive, and more accessible design of robotic mechanisms for applications in automation, assistive technology, STEM education, and human-centered robotics.


Highlights & Accomplishments:

  • Created a novel Computational Framework for Machine Learning-driven Design of Robot Mechanisms
  • Invented Mobility Assist (among the “Top 10 Inventions on the Wall of Innovation”, chosen from among 2,500 inventions and 750 patents from Stony Brook faculty and innovators)
  • Co-founded Mechanismic Inc. (funded by the NSF and acquired by A+ Mobile Solutions): Launched SnappyXO, An Educational Robotics Product
  • Created MotionGen Design Software, Used in 150 Countries by 80,000+ Users

Research Areas:


Research Interests:

  • AI-Driven Robot Mechanism Design,
  • Computational Kinematics,
  • Rehabilitation Engineering,
  • AI/STEM Education