PhD Student, Aditya Patankar Successfully Defends Doctoral Dissertation Advancing Robotic Grasping and Manipulation
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University is pleased to congratulate
Aditya Patankar on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation, Sensor-based Task-Oriented Grasping. His research advances robotic manipulation by developing algorithms that enable robots
to grasp objects based on the specific task they are intended to perform, expanding
their capabilities beyond traditional pick-and-place operations.
Patankar's dissertation demonstrates that grasping and motion planning should be considered together rather than as separate problems. His work introduces a task-oriented approach that allows robots to select grasps capable of executing complex manipulation tasks, such as operating tools, pouring liquids, and handling heavy objects. Using sensor data and partial 3D point clouds, he developed algorithms that identify effective grasping regions and robot hand poses for previously unseen objects, enabling more adaptable manipulation in real-world environments.
The research also integrates task-oriented grasp synthesis with motion planning, creating a unified framework for robotic manipulation. Recognizing that some tasks require change of grasps, Patankar developed methods to determine when a robot should regrasp an object during a task. The proposed framework was successfully validated through physical robot experiments involving constrained manipulation tasks.
Faculty advisor Nilanjan Chakraborty praised the significance of Patankar's research and its contributions to the field of robotic manipulation:
Aditya’s work makes important contributions toward integrating perception, grasp synthesis, and motion planning into a unified framework for task-oriented manipulation in a mathematically rigorous manner. I congratulate Aditya on this significant achievement and look forward to seeing the continued impact of his research.
Reflecting on his doctoral experience and the next chapter of his research career, Patankar shared:
“Earning my PhD at Stony Brook University has been a major achievement for me and my family. I am incredibly grateful to my advisor, Dr. Chakraborty, and the University for providing the environment I needed to pursue research in robotic manipulation and push myself. It has been a privilege, and I look forward to carrying that momentum forward into my postdoctoral research at SBU.”
The Department of Mechanical Engineering congratulates Dr. Aditya Patankar on this outstanding achievement and wishes him continued success in his research career and future endeavors.