Branch & Batch: 2017 / Physics + Mechanical
Masters: MS in Mechanical Engineering at CMU
Thesis: Carnegie Mellon University
CGPA: 8.41
GRE: 323
Q. Could you give us a brief introduction of yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a 2017 batch dualite pursuing Physics + Mechanical Engineering along with a minor in Robotics and Automation. Currently, I’m admitted to the MS program for Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where I work at the Biorobotics lab. My research involves designing gaits and controllers for snake-inspired robots. Snake robots can be used for Search and Rescue applications, where they can traverse irregular terrains like sand and debris and reach places that humans or conventional robots can’t.
Q. What is the scope of Bio-Robotics, and how is it different from general Robotics?
With Bio-Robotics, researchers try to get inspiration from nature and try to incorporate their findings into robotic systems. Natural systems have a lot of interesting dynamics and configurations that evolved over the years. For example, you can look at humans, who evolved from apes. The current human form is a result of thousands of years of evolution, which is why it can execute complex locomotion and manipulation tasks as compared to our ancestors. Biorobotics aims to understand and harness these mechanisms and incorporate them into conventional robotic systems.
Q. When did you decide to do a minor in Robotics with your dual degree?
I was in my 3-1 when the minor in Robotics and Automation was first offered. By this time, I had already decided to pursue a career in Robotics, so I enrolled right away.
Q. Were there any courses that directed you towards this field? Any courses from BITS or online that you would recommend for people interested in the area?
In my first year, I attended several Robotics workshops which piqued my interest in the field. I also worked with my colleagues and seniors to develop Dextroid - a bipedal robot with 8 degrees of freedom. Then, in 2nd year, I joined the Automation and Robotics Club and did many projects as a part of the club. The workshops and projects are what directed me towards pursuing Robotics.
Some of the BITS courses that prepared me for the fundamentals of robotics were Linear Algebra (Math 2) and Control Systems. Apart from these, the courses in the Robotics minor: Intro to Robotics and AI for Robotics are good places to start for people exploring the field. Online courses like Control of Mobile Robots, UPenn’s Robotics specialization, and Udacity’s Robotics Software Engineer Nanodegree Program are all great starting places for beginners.
Q. You’ve done numerous projects, which helped with your Bio-Robotics profile, and how did you get those projects? Did those profs give you a LOR?
Most of my robotics projects were done with batchmates and seniors. But in my 3rd and 4th year, I did some non-robotics formal projects with the profs at BITS. One of them was with Prof Meenakshi Vishwanathan of the physics department. This project involved developing a novel drop test method to calculate the drag coefficient of a model airplane. I also did a project under Prof B. Harihara Venkataraman, which involved using machine learning models to predict solar electricity generation based on weather conditions. In my 4-1, I worked with Prof. Srinivasa Regalla to develop an intelligent part selection application for Electric Vehicles called EXPEVER.
Although these projects weren’t related to Robotics, they exposed me to the field of academia. I learnt how to formulate and approach a research problem. I ended up getting LORs from some of these professors for my Thesis and MS applications.
Q. How do you think the resources at BITS helped you?
I believe the best resource for robotics at BITS Hyderabad is the student community. We have a talented group of roboticists at BITS. When doing projects, I often used to collaborate with batchmates and seniors. My colleagues at the Automation and Robotics club helped me with many projects. Apart from this, some of the courses I mentioned earlier were also helpful to get my basics cleared. Talking about the facilities at BITS, the Mechanical department at Hyderabad campus has been steadily investing in robotics equipment. That combined with the ARC inventory and mech workshop are good places to get your hands on equipment and fabricate robots. The Sandboxx/Tinkerer’s Lab was also a resource used by some of my colleagues and juniors to build robots. I also utilized the Student Innovative Projects grant for two of my projects during BITS.
Q. Did you have any start-up experience during college?
In my first year, my friend Prakhar and I got an idea to develop modular cabins for open office spaces. After several iterations to figure out the technology and business side, we finalized and pitched our idea at multiple competitions during my 2nd year. The goal of our product ‘Wogi’ was to create dynamic floor layouts in open-office settings such that teams could get a separate room and when required, change the layout to allow different teams to interact with each other. This would prove particularly useful for co-working spaces, which are common working environments where small companies rent parts of the open-office layout. Co-working space owners can accommodate teams of varying sizes by quickly changing the cabin size using our product.
Q. Can you tell us about the technology business incubator B plan competition?
In my 2nd year, the Technology Business Incubator at BITS-Hyderabad organized a Business Plan competition for startups. Many startups from Hyderabad participated in the competition. We won the first prize for pitching our product and business plan to the panel of judges. For the winning prize, we received seed funding for Wogi and a permanent working space at TBI.
Q. Which universities and professors did you approach for your thesis? How did you go about the whole process?
I contacted many research labs and universities across the world. Here’s a rough timeline of my thesis application process. At the beginning of my 4-1, I started listing out professors working in Robotics and their research subfields. By the end of 4-1, I had compiled a list of 150 research labs where I was interested in working. At this time, I began mailing the professors to apply for a thesis. For the email, I made a template with one customized paragraph pertaining to the professor’s research interest. I would send about five to six emails a day. The process went on until the middle of 4-2. After about 200 emails including reminders, I got acceptances from a few labs in Germany, one in the UK, and an offer from UC San Diego, USA. The UCSD professor wanted me to start working immediately. So in 4-2, I joined the lab remotely while doing coursework from BITS. Later on, I got an opportunity to work at the Biorobotics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University. As this work aligned more with my interest in Bio-inspired locomotion and was also in-person, I decided to leave my current work and join the Biorobotics Lab for my 5-1 and 5-2 thesis where I am currently admitted into the MS program.
Q. How did you compile the list of the projects you were interested in?
While I knew I wanted to work in Robotics, I hadn’t decided on a subfield which I wanted to work on. My plan with the thesis was to get hands-on experience in any field of robotics and gauge my interest from there. So rather than choosing research labs which focus on a niche subfield, I tried to find labs which worked on a variety of topics. For doing this, I looked at the webpages of top robotics research universities and at the work their labs were doing.
Q. Is your thesis funded?
My thesis at Carnegie Mellon is currently not funded. My lab generally doesn’t fund undergraduate interns. After having a discussion with my family, we decided that the year-long experience will add enough value and improve my future career prospects to justify the expenses. But as everyone’s financial situation is different, I would suggest prospective students to use their best judgment when making the decision to pursue an unfunded thesis.
Q. Why have you opted for a Master's instead of a Ph.D.?
Pursuing a PhD program is a big commitment. Generally, it takes 4-5 years to complete a PhD, and I have seen people who worked for more than 6 years to complete their program. Academia is not for everyone, so you need to be really sure before making a long-term commitment. My year-long thesis at the Biorobotics Lab helped me understand that while I enjoy working in Academia, I’d be a better fit in an industry setting. So for now, I have decided to pursue a Masters and try to get an R&D engineering job, which would give me the best of both worlds.
Q. How important is CG? And in case someone’s CG isn’t great, how could they compensate?
While having a higher CGPA helps, it is far from the most important thing that professors look at when evaluating student profiles. A lower CG can be compensated the most by projects, research and/or industry experience. In academia and industry, the most valued part of a candidate’s profile is their skills and experience. I have seen many batchmates and seniors with a low CG getting thesis and masters admits at renowned labs/universities.
Q. What clubs were you a part of, and did they help you in any way?
I was a part of the Automation and Robotics Club and the Physics Assoc - Spectrum. ARC helped me connect with like-minded people who were interested in Robotics. I also mentored workshops organized by ARC, which helped me communicate my ideas better. I was the Technical Head at Spectrum. Here, I made meaningful connections with physics batchmates and juniors, while also improving my organizational and leadership skills. Apart from technical clubs, I was a graphic designer at the Designer’s Anonymous, Journal Club and Department of Technical Arts.
Q. How different is the academic culture in the US when compared to here?
At BITS and in India, the majority of students give higher value to grades than skills. Here in the US, grades are a low priority for students, who focus the bulk of their time trying to develop useful skills. Many undergrads that I met here have really good hands-on experience and know how to apply the theory they learnt in class to a real world problem.
Q. What year-wise advice would you give to students?
A: For the first years, I would recommend exploring any field that interests you and say yes to all opportunities you get. Join a variety of clubs and interact with as many seniors as possible. Your goal should be to improve your social network, find like-minded people and figure out 3-4 areas of interest. The second and third year is where the real work happens. Throughout these 2 years, work towards the 3-4 career paths that interest you the most. Find projects in these fields – whether under a professor or a senior, and spend time learning by doing. As time progresses, learn from your experiences and by the end of 3rd year, single out the career path that works best for you. In 4th year, work towards achieving the next position in your selected career path. That may include doing a summer internship after 3-2 and sitting for placements, or applying for thesis and eventually masters.
Q. Are there things you could have done better in college? Any regrets?
I regret not focussing on academics during my 2nd year. The 1st and 2nd year courses are much easier to score good grades in as compared to 3rd and 4th. To bring my CG back up, I had to work really hard for the next 2 years. This time could have been spent developing valuable skills if only I had maintained a good SG during 2nd year. I would recommend juniors to maintain a 7+ CG, which is frankly easy to do if you attend classes on a regular basis.
Q. Is there any final advice you’d like to give?
My final advice to juniors would be to keep exploring anything and everything that interests you. During my 5 years of undergrad, I explored core mechanical engineering, physics, robotics research, entrepreneurship and many other avenues. Trying everything that I wanted to during my undergrad, I now have clarity about my interests and strengths. Having some clarity will allow you to focus all your time and efforts towards a career path that you like and are good at.
Disclaimer: The points given above are the views and steps taken by the individual. They are not fixed steps and guidelines to base your college upon. Our hope is to inspire students so they can take the necessary steps hereafter. We hope you like it!