Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay

Dr. Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Robotics, Data61 since 2024, leading the Robot-World Interaction research theme within the Cyber Physical Systems Program. His career spans roles including Team Leader of the Robotic Autonomy Team (2023-present), Subcomponent Lead for Physical Interaction in the Reimagine Farming initiative, and Cluster Leader for Inspection Robotics (2015-2022).

• PhD in Robotics (2010, National University of Singapore)
• B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering (2001, IIT Kanpur)
• Complexity Summer School Fellow (2015, Santa Fe Institute)

His research focuses on robot motion planning and navigation in complex environments, with specialized interests in deformable mobile manipulation, magnetic climbing robots, and modular systems. He has pioneered solutions for autonomous navigation in cluttered spaces, including applications for agricultural robots, industrial inspections, and environmental monitoring.

Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals expertise in mobile manipulation (4/15), path planning (5/15), and environmental interaction (6/15). Key subfields include policy learning, modular robotics, and climbing mechanisms. His work bridges theoretical robotics with real-world deployments across diverse environments like Singapore Harbour, Peel Island, and O&G plants.

Scientific recognition includes

• Scholarship to CSIRO Complex Systems Science Summer School (2015)

He contributes to robotics leadership as

• General Secretary of the Australasian Association for Robotics and Automation (2020-present)
• Area Chair for Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) (2022-2023)
• Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2019-2024)

Current projects involve

• Magnetic climbing robots (Magneto platform)
• Deformable environment interaction (vegetation/soil)
• Confined space navigation (30-DoF legged robot)
• Autonomous kayaks for environmental monitoring