Neeraj Balachandar | Research Portfolio

Important Course Notes (Template)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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Research Notes (Template)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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VarFIExI - Variable Fidelity Aeroelastic Solver

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

VarFIExI is a variable-fidelity aeroelastic framework that couples vortex particle flow models with structural solvers. The aim is to retain key aeroelastic physics while keeping the computational cost low enough for design and control studies.

Approach

rVPM flow solver coupled to FEM via preCICE
Implicit and partitioned explicit coupling strategies
Validation on benchmark aeroelastic cases

Course Notes (Template)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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Nonlinear Model Predictive Control via Sequential Convex Programming for Drone-to-Drone Docking

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

This project develops sequential convex programming formulations for drone-to-drone docking. The focus is on safe, feasible trajectories that respect disturbance bounds and actuator limits while preserving computational tractability.

Approach

Convexified constraints for safety and docking geometry
Robust thrust profiles under bounded disturbances
Numerical validation on docking scenarios

Photography (Template)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Add your photography write-up here.

Quasi-static Elbow Flexion Study

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

Designed an exoskeleton system and validated muscle activity models under simulated microgravity conditions using biomechanical analysis.

Approach

Built a quasi-static biomechanical model for elbow flexion with exoskeleton interaction.
Compared simulated muscle activation trends against controlled experimental observations.

Neural Operator Surrogates for Fast Multipole Vortex Simulations

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

This project builds neural-operator-based surrogates for fast multipole vortex simulations. The emphasis is on conservation-preserving learning and super-resolution reconstruction of velocity fields.

Approach

Neural operators for N-body vortex interactions
Conservation-aware training objectives
Super-resolution velocity reconstruction

Analytical Model for Soft Robotic Membranes

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

This project develops analytical models for tendon-actuated soft membranes inspired by jellyfish propulsion. The goal is to capture dominant deformation and propulsion mechanisms with compact, interpretable models.

Approach

Cosserat rod modeling of membrane deformation
Hydrodynamic force estimation via Lighthill’s theory
Validation using immersed boundary simulations

Chaotic Wake Dynamics of Flapping Wings

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

This project studies chaotic wake evolution in flapping-wing flows. The goal is to extract low-dimensional descriptors that capture transitions to chaos and inform control-oriented modeling.

Approach

Graph-based representation of vortex interactions
Information-theoretic metrics for chaos detection
Comparative analysis across operating regimes

Drone Swarm Rescue Simulation

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

This project focuses on multi-agent rescue and transport in simulated environments. I explored navigation, coordination, and clustering methods for robust swarm behavior.

Approach

Artificial potential fields for navigation
RRT-based transport strategies
Clustering comparisons (DBSCAN, K-means)

Sparus AUV Modelling and Control

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

Developed a hydrodynamic model for the Sparus AUV and implemented a Simulink-based stabilization controller for underactuated dynamics.

Approach

Derived a reduced hydrodynamic model suitable for control-oriented simulation.
Implemented and tuned a Simulink stabilization loop for underactuated operating conditions.

Neuro-Fuzzy PID Control

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

Developed a neuro-fuzzy-based adaptive PID controller for a 2R manipulator with varying trajectories, emphasizing stability and performance across operating conditions.

Approach

Designed a neuro-fuzzy adaptive tuning strategy to update PID gains under changing trajectories.
Evaluated tracking stability and control smoothness across multiple excitation profiles.

Parallelised SVD (C, OpenMP)

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Problem

Implemented and optimized a parallel SVD routine in C with OpenMP, focusing on scaling behavior and performance profiling.

Approach

Parallelized core matrix decomposition steps using OpenMP and optimized workload partitioning.
Benchmarked strong and weak scaling to identify bottlenecks and quantify speedup.

Physics Informed Fourier Neural Operator to Map Reformulated Vortex Particle Field to Eulerian Velocity Field

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Accepted for presentation at TSFP14 (Heidelberg, Germany, July 2026).

Experience

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Research

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Adaptive Trajectory Planning with Sequential Convex Programming for Drone-to-Drone Docking

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Accepted for presentation at AIAA SciTech 2026 (Session IS-24: Autonomy III).

Analytical Modelling of Deformable Membranes in Undulatory Motion Driven by Tendon-based Lappets in Biomimetic Jellyfish

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In process for submission to IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

On the Use of Gimbal-based Multi-DOF Platform for Hardware-in-Loop Reinforcement Learning for Characterizing the Dynamics of Underactuated Aerial Vehicles

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In process for submission to IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

VarFIExI - A Variable-Fidelity Framework for Unsteady Aeroelastic Coupling

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In process for submission to Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering.

CIEDS, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, Swarm Rescue Challenge

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Swarm Rescue Challenge Recognition

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I was recognized at the Swarm Rescue Challenge organized by CIEDS-ENSTA, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris. The event focused on evaluating autonomous swarm strategies in simulation under mission-level constraints.

AIAA Sci-Tech forum 2025

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Actuator System for Directional Manoeuvre of a Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Presented at AIAA SciTech 2025 (Session AS-08: Bio-inspired Adaptive Structures).

Selected for the Indian Academy of Sciences Summer Research Fellowship

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I received the Summer Research Fellowship from the Indian Academy of Sciences. This supported focused research time and mentorship in my areas of interest.

Joined the Dynamical Systems and Control Lab

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I joined the Dynamical Systems and Control Lab to pursue research in nonlinear dynamics, optimal control, and data-driven modeling for unsteady flows.

Learn JavaScript

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Hugo Blox Builder is designed to give technical content creators a seamless experience. You can focus on the content and the Hugo Blox Builder which this template is built upon handles the rest.

Embed videos, podcasts, code, LaTeX math, and even test students!

On this page, you’ll find some examples of the types of technical content that can be rendered with Hugo Blox.

Video

Teach your course by sharing videos with your students. Choose from one of the following approaches:

Youtube:

{{< youtube w7Ft2ymGmfc >}}

Bilibili:

{{< bilibili id="BV1WV4y1r7DF" >}}

Video file

Videos may be added to a page by either placing them in your assets/media/ media library or in your page’s folder, and then embedding them with the video shortcode:

{{< video src="my_video.mp4" controls="yes" >}}

Podcast

You can add a podcast or music to a page by placing the MP3 file in the page’s folder or the media library folder and then embedding the audio on your page with the audio shortcode:

{{< audio src="ambient-piano.mp3" >}}

Try it out:

Test students

Provide a simple yet fun self-assessment by revealing the solutions to challenges with the spoiler shortcode:

{{< spoiler text="👉 Click to view the solution" >}}
You found me!
{{< /spoiler >}}

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👉 Click to view the solution

You found me 🎉

Math

Hugo Blox Builder supports a Markdown extension for $\LaTeX$ math. You can enable this feature by toggling the math option in your config/_default/params.yaml file.

To render inline or block math, wrap your LaTeX math with {{< math >}}$...${{< /math >}} or {{< math >}}$$...$${{< /math >}}, respectively.

We wrap the LaTeX math in the Hugo Blox math shortcode to prevent Hugo rendering our math as Markdown.

Example math block:

{{< math >}}
$$
\gamma_{n} = \frac{ \left | \left (\mathbf x_{n} - \mathbf x_{n-1} \right )^T \left [\nabla F (\mathbf x_{n}) - \nabla F (\mathbf x_{n-1}) \right ] \right |}{\left \|\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n}) - \nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n-1}) \right \|^2}
$$
{{< /math >}}

renders as

$$\gamma_{n} = \frac{ \left | \left (\mathbf x_{n} - \mathbf x_{n-1} \right )^T \left [\nabla F (\mathbf x_{n}) - \nabla F (\mathbf x_{n-1}) \right ] \right |}{\left \|\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n}) - \nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n-1}) \right \|^2}$$

Example inline math {{< math >}}$\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n})${{< /math >}} renders as $\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n})$ .

Example multi-line math using the math linebreak (\\):

{{< math >}}
$$f(k;p_{0}^{*}) = \begin{cases}p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=1, \\
1-p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=0.\end{cases}$$
{{< /math >}}

renders as

$$ f(k;p_{0}^{*}) = \begin{cases}p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=1, \\ 1-p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=0.\end{cases} $$

Code

Hugo Blox Builder utilises Hugo’s Markdown extension for highlighting code syntax. The code theme can be selected in the config/_default/params.yaml file.

```python
import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
data.head()
```

renders as

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
data.head()

Inline Images

{{< icon name="python" >}} Python

renders as

Python

Learn Python

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Hugo Blox Builder is designed to give technical content creators a seamless experience. You can focus on the content and the Hugo Blox Builder which this template is built upon handles the rest.

Embed videos, podcasts, code, LaTeX math, and even test students!

On this page, you’ll find some examples of the types of technical content that can be rendered with Hugo Blox.

Video

Teach your course by sharing videos with your students. Choose from one of the following approaches:

Youtube:

{{< youtube w7Ft2ymGmfc >}}

Bilibili:

{{< bilibili id="BV1WV4y1r7DF" >}}

Video file

Videos may be added to a page by either placing them in your assets/media/ media library or in your page’s folder, and then embedding them with the video shortcode:

{{< video src="my_video.mp4" controls="yes" >}}

Podcast

You can add a podcast or music to a page by placing the MP3 file in the page’s folder or the media library folder and then embedding the audio on your page with the audio shortcode:

{{< audio src="ambient-piano.mp3" >}}

Try it out:

Test students

Provide a simple yet fun self-assessment by revealing the solutions to challenges with the spoiler shortcode:

{{< spoiler text="👉 Click to view the solution" >}}
You found me!
{{< /spoiler >}}

renders as

👉 Click to view the solution

You found me 🎉

Math

Hugo Blox Builder supports a Markdown extension for $\LaTeX$ math. You can enable this feature by toggling the math option in your config/_default/params.yaml file.

To render inline or block math, wrap your LaTeX math with {{< math >}}$...${{< /math >}} or {{< math >}}$$...$${{< /math >}}, respectively.

We wrap the LaTeX math in the Hugo Blox math shortcode to prevent Hugo rendering our math as Markdown.

Example math block:

{{< math >}}
$$
\gamma_{n} = \frac{ \left | \left (\mathbf x_{n} - \mathbf x_{n-1} \right )^T \left [\nabla F (\mathbf x_{n}) - \nabla F (\mathbf x_{n-1}) \right ] \right |}{\left \|\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n}) - \nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n-1}) \right \|^2}
$$
{{< /math >}}

renders as

Example inline math {{< math >}}$\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n})${{< /math >}} renders as $\nabla F(\mathbf{x}_{n})$ .

Example multi-line math using the math linebreak (\\):

{{< math >}}
$$f(k;p_{0}^{*}) = \begin{cases}p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=1, \\
1-p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=0.\end{cases}$$
{{< /math >}}

renders as

$$ f(k;p_{0}^{*}) = \begin{cases}p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=1, \\ 1-p_{0}^{*} & \text{if }k=0.\end{cases} $$

Code

Hugo Blox Builder utilises Hugo’s Markdown extension for highlighting code syntax. The code theme can be selected in the config/_default/params.yaml file.

```python
import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
data.head()
```

renders as

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
data.head()

Inline Images

{{< icon name="python" >}} Python

renders as

Python

Neeraj Balachandar | Research Portfolio

Important Course Notes (Template)

Research Notes (Template)

VarFIExI - Variable Fidelity Aeroelastic Solver

Problem

Approach

Course Notes (Template)

Nonlinear Model Predictive Control via Sequential Convex Programming for Drone-to-Drone Docking

Problem

Approach

Photography (Template)

Quasi-static Elbow Flexion Study

Problem

Approach

Neural Operator Surrogates for Fast Multipole Vortex Simulations

Problem

Approach

Analytical Model for Soft Robotic Membranes

Problem

Approach

Chaotic Wake Dynamics of Flapping Wings

Problem

Approach

Drone Swarm Rescue Simulation

Problem

Approach

Sparus AUV Modelling and Control

Problem

Approach

Neuro-Fuzzy PID Control

Problem

Approach

Parallelised SVD (C, OpenMP)

Problem

Approach

Physics Informed Fourier Neural Operator to Map Reformulated Vortex Particle Field to Eulerian Velocity Field

Experience

Research

Adaptive Trajectory Planning with Sequential Convex Programming for Drone-to-Drone Docking

Analytical Modelling of Deformable Membranes in Undulatory Motion Driven by Tendon-based Lappets in Biomimetic Jellyfish

On the Use of Gimbal-based Multi-DOF Platform for Hardware-in-Loop Reinforcement Learning for Characterizing the Dynamics of Underactuated Aerial Vehicles

VarFIExI - A Variable-Fidelity Framework for Unsteady Aeroelastic Coupling

CIEDS, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, Swarm Rescue Challenge

Swarm Rescue Challenge Recognition

AIAA Sci-Tech forum 2025

Actuator System for Directional Manoeuvre of a Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle

Selected for the Indian Academy of Sciences Summer Research Fellowship

Joined the Dynamical Systems and Control Lab

Learn JavaScript

Video

Podcast

Test students

Math

Code

Inline Images

Did you find this page helpful? Consider sharing it 🙌

Learn Python

Video

Podcast

Test students

Math

Code

Inline Images

Did you find this page helpful? Consider sharing it 🙌