EKTA SINGLA

Assistant Professor, SMMEE (Mechanical)

Room No. 225, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar
Nangal Road, Roopnagar, Punjab, INDIA.
Phone: +91 1881 242160, +91 84274 00635 (M)
Email: ekta@iitrpr.ac.in, ekta.singla@gmail.com

Research Interests

Evolutionary robotics, Customized manipulator design, Kinematic redundancy, Optimal mechanism design
Robot motion planning, Obstacle avoidance in constrained environments
Mechatronics applications
Applied Optimization, CAD, Mathematical modeling

Education
PhD (Robotics)
Title: Optimal Design and Path Planning of Redundant Manipulators for Constrained Environments.
Advisor: Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta
2004 2009, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India.
CGPA 9.0/10, National Doctoral Fellowship.
M. Tech (CAD/CAM and Robotics)
July 2000 Jan 2002, Thapar University, Punjab, India.

CGPA 9.6/10, Gold Medal

B. Tech (Mechanical)
1996 2000, GZS CET Bathinda, Punjab, India. Marks Percentage

76.5% (Hons.), Merit

Awards and Scholarships

CNRS Post Doctoral fellowship, UPMC Paris, France

DFG funded student research assistantship, TU Berlin, Germany
National Doctoral Fellowship, AICTE, Government of India
Institute Medal, University Gold medal in M.Tech

2009-2010
May-Dec 2005
2004-2007
2002

Teaching Experience
Assistant Professor, Dec. 2010 present, SMMEE, IIT Ropar
Course Instructor:
UG Robotics, Mechatronics, Engineering Optimization.
PG Robot Manipulators: Kinematics, Dynamics and Control, Engineering Design optimization
Laboratory Co-instructor: UG Machine Design, Control Engineering Lab.
Lecturer, Jan. 2002 July 2004, Mechanical Engineering Department, Thapar University, India.
Course Instructor: PG Computer aided design, Robot kinematics and dynamics, Interactive computer
Modelling and analysis.
UG CAD/CAM, Engineering graphics.
Laboratory Instructor: Engineering graphics, Fluid mechanics, CAM
UG
CAD, Robotics
UG/PG
Advanced Robotics, Interactive computer graphics
PG

graphics,

July 2006 July 2008, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

Teaching Assistant:

Optimization Methods (twice),

Mathematical Methods in Engineering (twice).

Research Experience
Principal investigator, SERB Fast-Track for Young Scientists
Co-PI, India-EPSRC, A UK-India Collaborative Project

Nov. 2013 for three years

Approved in Oct. 2013 for three years

 Principal Investigator, Seed Grant for research, IIT Ropar

Sep 2011 -- Sep 2013
Senior project engineer (Adhoc), IIT Kanpur, India
Sep. 2010 Dec. 2010
Post doctoral fellow (CNRS), ISIR, UPMC, Paris, France,
July 2009 July 2010
PhD, Research under the guidance of Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta, IIT Kanpur, India,
July 2004 July 2009
Research assistant (DFG), TU Berlin, Germany
June2005 Dec. 2005

Projects
S.No.

Title of the Project

Funding Agency

Financial
Outlay
23 lakhs

START year,
period
2013, 3 years

2013, 3 years

1.

PI

Optimal design and analysis of modular

manipulator for constrained Environments.

DST-SERB Fast Track

Scheme for Young Scientists

2.

CoPI

DST-EPSRC

1 crore 8
lakhs

3.

PI

Engineering driven sustainable supply

networks A UK-India Collaborative
study.
Optimal Design of Task-based Modular
Manipulators.

ISGR (Institute Seed Grant

for research)

10 lakhs

2011, 2 years

Publications
Book Chapter
Rubrecht S., Singla E., Padois V., Bidaud P., Broissia M., "Evolutionary design of a robotic manipulator for a highly
constrained environment". New Horizons in Evolutionary Design, Editors: S. Doncieux, J-B. Mouret, N. Bredeche, SpringerVerlag, 2011, pp 109 121.
Journal Publications
A. Shukla, E. Singla, P. Wahi, B. Dasgupta, A Direct Variational Method for Planning Monotonically Optimal Paths for
Redundant Manipulators in Constrained Workspaces, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Volume 61, Issue 2, February
2013, Pages 209 220.
Singla E., Tripathi S., Rakesh V., Dasgupta B., Optimal synthesis of kinematically redundant serial manipulators for
cluttered environments, Vol. 58 (5), 2010, pp 585 595.
Dasgupta B., Gupta E., Singla E., A Variational Approach to Path Planning for Hyper-Redundant Manipulators,
Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 57 (2), February 2009, pp 194 201.
Conference Proceedings

E. Singla, S. Singh, S. Gupta, Novel Modular Strategy for the Fabrication of Robotic Manipulators Based Upon TaskBased Designs, 1st International & 16th National Conference on Machines and Mechanisms (iNaCoMM 2013), IIT
Roorkee, India, Dec. 18 20, 2013, pp 722 - 727.

E. Singla, B. Dasgupta, Maneuvering Redundant Manipulators in Cluttered Environments, IEEE 6th Robotics and
Mechatronics Conference (RobMech), South Africa, October 30-31, 2013, pp 20-25.

Singla, E. Singla, Input Shaped Open-Loop Control for Vibration Suppression of Lightweight Flexible Manipulators,
International Conference on Emerging Technologies: Micro to Nano 2013, BITS Pilani, Feb. 2013.

Kapoor H., Gupta S., Singla E., "Optimal Synthesis Of Robotic Arm With Degrees Of Freedom As Variable", ASME
2012 Int. Mech. Engg. Congress and Exposition, Houston, Texas, November 9-15, 2012.

Singh S., Gupta S., Singla E., "Design of Module for Modular Customized Manipulators", ASME 2012 Int. Mech.
Engg. Congress and Exposition, Houston Texas, November 9-15, 2012, , Vol. 3: Design, Materials and Manufacturings,
pp 335 339.

Singla E., Singla A., A Posteriori Analysis Tool for Redundant Manipulators, Indo-Russian Joint Workshop on

Computational Intelligence and Modern Heuristics in Automation and Robotics" by DST New Delhi. The workshop
is going to be held at Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU), Novisibirsk, Russia during 10-12 September
2011, Page 213 - 218.

Singla E., Singla A, Performance Indices for Robotic Arms, 26th International Journal of CAD/CAM, Robotics and
Factories of the Future, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 26 28 July, 2011, Page 747 754.Singla E., Dasgupta B., Design
and Development of Exoskeleton Hip joint based on Spherical Parallel Mechanism, IISc Centenary International
Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore, India, July 2008.

Singla E., Dasgupta B., Towards Posture Planning for Spatial Redundant Manipulators, Proceedings of 2nd National
Conference on Advances in Manufacturing Technology, Chandigarh, India, March 2008, pp. 1-11.
Bhattacharyya A., Singla E., Dasgupta B., Robot path planning using Silhouette method, Proceedings of 13th
National Conference on Mechanisms and Machines, IISc Bangalore, India, December 2007.

Singla E., Dasgupta B., Kondak K., Flescher C., Hommel G., Optimal Design of an exoskeleton hip using threedegrees-of-freedom spherical mechanism, Proceedings International Symposium on Robotics, Munich, Germany, May
2006, pp 73-78.

Administrative Responsibilities

Coordinator
Coordinator
Chair person
Nodal officer
Faculty advisor
Member
Faculty Advisor 2009 batch
Laboratory Incharge
BTP coordinator
Coordinator: Time-table
Assisted: UG handbook Review

Academic Activities
Associate Editor
Session chair

2012, 2013
2013
June 2011 - March 2013
Jan 2011
till date
July 2011
till date
Mar 2011 onwards

Sadhana Proceedings of National Academy of Science, India

Mechatronics, 2013), IIT Roorkee, India, Dec. 19, 2013

Member
Reviewer in journals

ASME, IEEE societies

IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics,
Sadhana proceedings of National Academy of Science, India
16th iNACOMM 2013 (IIT Roorkee, India),
Int. Conf. on Computer Aided Design (IIT Madras)
26th CARs&Fof 2011 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
iNACOMM 2013 (IIT Roorkee, India),
Int. Conf. on Computer Aided Design (IIT Madras)
University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Thapar University, Punjab, India
Punjab Deemed University (PEC), Chandigar, India

Reviewer in conferences:

PC member:
Master thesis evaluations:

Host:

Convocation Reception
Convocation Gowns design and Fabrication
Medicine procurement committee
NKN-IIT Ropar
Robotics club
HAC
2011 onwards
2011 onwards, MRA lab
2012-13
2011-12 II, 2012-13-I

2012 Summer Interns: Two summer interns, sponsored by Indian Academy of Science (IAS).
2013 Summer Interns: Six summer interns, (Two sponsored by Indian Academy of Science (IAS)).

New Courses introduced:

1 UG course (Engineering Optimization), 3 PG courses introduced

Invited Lectures and Tutorials

1.
2.
3.

GZS CET, Bathinda, Punjab, Robotic Arms: Concept, Design and

Chandigarh University, Evolutionary Robotics, Oct. 10, 2013.
Thapar University, Patiala, Optimization through Matlab, June 4-7, 2013

Performance Measures, Dec. 5, 2013.

4.
5.
6.
7.

Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Optimal Design of Robotic Manipulators, March 25-29, 2013
Thapar University, Patiala, Performance measures for Robotic Arms, March 21-23, 2013
UIET Punjab University, Chandigarh, Evolutionary Algorithms: Concepts and Applications, Jan 21-25, 2013
Rayat Bahra College of Engineering and Nano Technology for Women, Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, Evolutionary
Algorithms: Applications in multidisciplinary fields, 2nd to 6th July, 2012
8. National University of Singapore, Singapore Mechanical Department, on Performance Indices on Robotic Arms, 29th
July, 2011.
9. Yadavindra College of Engineering, Punjab, India Mechanical Department, on Industrial Robotic Arms, 22nd October,
2011.
10. Tutorial on Optimization methods: A boon to mechanical design, International Conference, ICPE, NIT, Jullandhar,
India, Dec. 2010.
11. Lecture on Guass Elimination Family of methods, Short term course, IIT Kanpur, India, January 2009.
12. Lecture on Boundary Value Problems, Short term course, IIT Kanpur, India, January 2009.
Thesis Supervision
PhD Thesis, 2011
PhD Thesis, 2012
Master Thesis, 2003
Master Thesis, 2002

Modular manipulators (on-going)

Evolutionary Robotics at Micro level (on-going)
Modelling, simulation and experimentation of a multi-axis PID controllers, Thapar University.
Inverse kinematics of serial robotic arms using Geometrical methods, Thapar University.

Conference Organizing Member

National conference of Research Scholars in Mechanical Engineering
National Conference of Mechanical Engineers

2006
2003

IIT Kanpur, India

TIET, Punjab, India

Laboratory Set-Up
Mechatronics and Robotics lab Set-Up, IIT Ropar
Redesign the Center of Mechatronics, IIT Kanpur, 2009
Laboratory set-up for Robotics experiments (separated from already existing facilities for CAM), Thapar University,
2003.

General Information
Date and place of Birth:
Nationality:
Marital Status:
Languages:

Ekta Singla

14/02/79, Punjab, India

Indian
Married
English, Hindi, Punjabi