Alap Kshirsagar
Hello, fellow traveller on spaceship Earth.
Thank you for visiting my webpage!
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi - Abu Dhabi. My research centers on robotic manipulation, with a particular interest in human-robot interaction, tactile perception, and dynamic motor skills. Through my research, I aim to contribute to a future where robots can seamlessly perform complex tasks, adapt to new environments, and assist humans tackle challenges on Earth and beyond.
Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group led by Prof. Jan Peters at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and a scientist in the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Center (ARTC), A*STAR, Singapore. I completed a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, USA, where I was part of the Human-Robot Collaboration and Companionship Lab led by Dr. Guy Hoffman. Before my Ph.D., I completed a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Mechanical Design at IIT Madras and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay. I was also a visiting student researcher at the University of California, Berkeley; RWTH Aachen University; and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
I have published at ICRA, IROS, HRI, RA-L, T-ASE, SORO, Robosoft (Best Student Paper Award Finalist in 2026), IFAC, CogSci, and was selected as a member of the Robotics Science and Systems Pioneers 2024 cohort, comprising 30 outstanding early career robotics researchers, and a member of Human-Robot Interaction Pioneers 2022 cohort, comprising 14 outstanding early career human-robot interaction researchers.