IITK Research Associate Robotics Recruitment 2026

IITK Research Associate Robotics Recruitment 2026: Overview

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) is recruiting a Research Associate-I in the Department of Mechanical Engineering for an ANRF-backed robotics project. The appointment is temporary and contractual, with the work based at IIT Kanpur. It suits a researcher who enjoys building physical systems as much as analysing how they behave.

The project is titled “The science and design of robotic sandworms propulsion of deformable object through particulate media”. It explores robotic movement through granular material, an environment where ordinary wheeled or legged designs can struggle. The work therefore brings together mechanism design, experimental robotics, sensing, control and the mechanics of deformable or soft systems.

This is a strongly hands-on research setting. The project team is looking for someone able to move from an idea to a working robotic prototype, test it in the laboratory, diagnose failures and improve the design. Actuators, sensors, embedded hardware and experimental control are all part of the technical setting, while data acquisition and analysis turn each test into usable research evidence.

Programming is also central to the project’s workflow. Experience with MATLAB, Python, ROS or comparable robotics tools can help you connect hardware, experiments and analysis. The notice gives particular weight to candidates who have handled field experiments, unconventional robotic platforms or deformable systems, so your application should make any such work easy for the project team to identify.

The advertisement was issued under reference P.Rect./R&D/2026/168. Prof. Ishan Sharma is the Principal Investigator, with affiliations to Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Space, Planetary, Astronomical Sciences and Engineering. That combination reflects the project’s broad engineering character: you will be studying locomotion as a scientific problem while also developing a machine that can demonstrate it.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: The initial appointment is for one year and may be extended depending on performance.
• Employment status: The post is purely temporary and contractual; it is connected to the ANRF project rather than a regular IIT Kanpur position.
• Interview costs: IIT Kanpur will not pay TA or DA for attending the interview.
• Independent work: The project expects the associate to design, build, troubleshoot and iterate experimental robotic prototypes with substantial independence.
• Research record: Applicants using the postgraduate-and-experience route must show the specified research background and indexed publication record in their supporting material.

Application Submission Notes

Email your application to Mubashir Ali at mali@iitk.ac.in. Include your complete professional and academic record, a detailed CV, work-experience information and copies of relevant certificates in the application package.

Make the technical fit visible by grouping your experience around robotic systems, mechanisms, instrumentation, programming and experimental analysis. If you have built unusual, field-ready, soft or deformable robots, describe what you personally designed, tested and improved.

The institute asks for applications by email and does not provide a separate form portal for this notice. Use the specific project page and advertisement reference to check the details before sending your material to the named project contact.

• Design and build experimental robotic mechanisms for movement through particulate media
• Integrate actuators, sensors, embedded systems, and control components
• Plan and conduct laboratory experiments on robotic locomotion
• Collect, process, and analyze experimental data
• Develop control and analysis code using MATLAB, Python, ROS, or similar tools
• Troubleshoot prototypes and improve designs through repeated testing
• Prepare technical records, research figures, and publication material