Faculty Directory

Chopra, Nikhil

Chopra, Nikhil

Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Institute for Systems Research
Maryland Robotics Center
Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering
2149 Glenn L. Martin Hall
Website(s):

Nikhil Chopra received his Bachelor of Technology (Honors) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, in 2001 and his Ph.D. degree in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering in 2006 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2006-2007. He is a full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and is affiliated with the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Chopra's research interests are in developing a fundamental understanding of control of networked autonomous systems. The work is motivated by applications in networked control of robotic systems and mixed human-robot teams.

He was awarded the William A. Chittenden Award for outstanding graduate research and the Vodafone Graduate Fellowship in 2003.  Co-Chair, IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Telerobotics, Reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Automatica, SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, Asian Journal of Control and Mechatronics.

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006-2007.
  • Ph.D., Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.
  • Bachelor of Technology (Honors), Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 2001.

Honors and awards

William A. Chittenden Award for outstanding graduate research and the Vodafone Graduate Fellowship, 2003.

Professional memberships

  • IEEE
  • ASME
  • Co-Chair, IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Telerobotics
  • Reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Automatica, SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, Asian Journal of Control and Mechatronics

 

Dynamics and control, robotics, control of networked autonomous systems; control of mixed human-robot teams; machine learning


 
 
2017
  • T. Hatanaka, N. Chopra, J. Yamauchi,  and M. Fujita, M, "A Passivity-Based Approach to Human–Swarm Collaboration and Passivity Analysis of Human Operators," In Trends in Control and Decision-Making for Human–Robot Collaboration Systems (pp. 325-355). Springer International Publishing, 2017.
2016
  • Y. Dong, N. Gupta, and N. Chopra. "Content modification attacks on consensus seeking multi-agent system with double-integrator dynamics." Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science 26.11 (2016): 116305.
2015
  • T.  Hatanaka, N. Chopra, M. Fujita, and M.W. Spong, Passivity-Based Control and Estimation in Networked Robotics, Springer, 2015.
2014
  • P. Tallapragada and N. Chopra, “Decentralized Event-Triggering for Control of Nonlinear Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 59, No.12, pp.3312-3324, Dec. 2014.
2013
  • Y-C. Liu and N. Chopra, “Synchronization of Networked Mechanical Systems with Communication Delays and Human Input,” ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, Vol. 135, No. 4, 2013.
  • L. Sabattini, N. Chopra, and C. Secchi, “Decentralized Connectivity Maintenance for Cooperative Control of Mobile Robotic Systems,” International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 32, No.12, pp. 1411-1423, 2013.
  • L. Sabattini, N. Chopra, and C. Secchi, “Decentralized Connectivity Maintenance for Cooperative Control of Mobile Robotic Systems,” International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 32, No.11, September 2013.
  • P. Tallapragada and N. Chopra, “On Event-Triggered Tracking for Nonlinear Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 58, No. 9, pp. 2343-2348, 2013.
2012
  • N. Chopra, "Output Synchronization on Strongly Connected Graphs," IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Accepted, 2012.

2009

  • N. Chopra and M.W. Spong, "On Exponential Synchronization of Kuramoto Oscillators," IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 353 – 357, 2009.

2008

  • N. Chopra, P. Berestesky, and M.W. Spong, "Bilateral Teleoperation over Unreliable Communication Networks," IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 304-313, 2008.
  • N. Chopra, M.W. Spong, and R. Lozano, "Synchronization of Bilateral Teleoperators with Time Delay," Automatica, Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 2142-2148, 2008.

2006

  • N. Chopra and M.W. Spong, "Passivity-Based Control of Multi-Agent Systems," in Advances in Robot Control, From Everyday Physics to Human-Like Movements, Sadao Kawamura and Mikhail Svinin, Eds., pp. 107-134, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2006.
  • N. Chopra, M.W. Spong, R. Ortega, and N.E. Barabanov, "On Tracking Performance in Bilateral Teleoperation," IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Vol. 22, pp. 861-866, 2006.















     

Modi Briefed on UMD-led Aquaculture Research

Doctoral student Kaustubh Joshi delivered a presentation on modernizing the industry with advanced tech.

UMD ME Faculty Ranked in Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide

The department is home to some of the most widely-cited researchers in their fields.

Stretchable, soft sensing skins for robots

Such skins could equip soft robots with integrated sensing and estimation.

Maryland engineers receive $10M to transform shellfish farming

The team will help farmers tap the economic potential and environmental benefits of shellfish aquaculture.

Seven Mechanical Engineering Faculty Promoted in 2020

Congratulations to Chopra, Chung, Cukier, Azarian, Ling, Liu, and Muehlbauer.

Haptic Safety for Unmanned Vehicles

UMD research advances networked control and virtual reality for added safety.  

Spotlight on NAVAIR-Funded Research at Maryland

Cooperative agreement between UMD and NAWCAD helps support research projects in Mechanical Engineering.

Chopra Co-Authors New Book

Associate Professor Nikhil Chopra co-authors Passivity-Based Control and Estimation in Networked Robotics.

UMD Robot Visits White House

Grad student Bryan Hays and NAO robot volunteer to teach programming to K-12 students.

UAE students, Northrop Grumman engineers tour robotics laboratories

Visitors were in town for the annual AUVSI conference.

Nikhil Chopra named to editorial board of leading systems and control journal

Chopra will be an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control.

Chopra is principal investigator for NSF nonlinear system tracking control grant

The research will enhance the tracking performance of robotic systems under sensor constraints.

Miniature Robotics REU students give final presentations

Ten undergrads from around the country give talks on their summer projects.

Maryland Robotics Center featured on live TV broadcast

Robots from five research groups help promote Maryland Day activities.

Visit of Dr. Nader Vahdati to UMD

Assoc Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Dept at the Petroleum Institute, visited UMD.

Nikhil Chopra receives NSF grant for wireless sensor and robotic networks

Researcher will investigate fundamental issues in control and distributed coordination.

Department Welcomes New Faculty this Fall and Spring

Dr. Byeng Youn and Dr. Nikhil Chopra join the department as Assistant Professors.