Neehal Sharrma’s journey in robotics has been defined by hands-on innovation, leadership, and a commitment to community building. As a master’s student in Robotics Engineering (RBE) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Sharrma is pushing the boundaries of soft robotics and prosthetics while fostering a collaborative and inclusive robotics community on campus.
Sharrma’s passion for robotics began in his home country of India, during his undergraduate studies in Mechatronics. Since then, he has remained deeply engaged in research and education, leading him to WPI, where he is currently an MS Trainee in the FORW-RD NSF NRT program. His research in the Soft Robotics Lab focuses on applying soft robotic technologies to upper-limb prosthetics, integrating soft tactile sensors to enhance grasping capabilities. “Current prosthetic devices tend to be quite bulky and heavy,” Sharrma explains. “I believe leveraging the biomimetic aspects of soft materials can help us sidestep these constraints and push the boundaries of what’s possible in this field.”
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While his research is exciting, Sharrma’s impact at WPI extends far beyond the lab. He has played a key role in strengthening WPI’s robotics community by establishing and leading two critical student organizations: the IEEE-RAS WPI chapter, where he serves as President, and the WPI Robot Prototyping Club, where he acts as an Open-Source Mentor. “Most graduate students spend their days grinding away at research in their lab, without many ways to interact with each other the way undergrads do,” he says. “IEEE-RAS WPI represents the RBE graduate student community, providing the social spaces they lack and resources to better engage with the department, WPI, and IEEE-RAS at large.”
The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE-RAS) is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to advancing robotics and automation research. Sharrma’s efforts have made WPI home to the only active IEEE-RAS student chapter in Massachusetts—a significant achievement for both the university and the local robotics community. “We were just incorporated as an official club last year, and have been hard at work building our foothold in the department and spreading our message,” he says. The chapter hosts career-building workshops, lab tours, and social events to bring graduate students together and recently began collaborating with WPI’s robotics department to support newly admitted graduate students.
WPI’s project-based learning approach has played a crucial role in shaping Sharrma’s mindset. “Having a top-down approach to solving problems without getting caught up in the minutiae has definitely helped me push past obstacles that previously would’ve had me running in circles,” he shares. “I like working with my hands, and thus, I took to PBL like a fish to water.”
As a first-generation international student, Sharrma acknowledges the challenges of navigating academia in a new country. “I was wildly unsure of whether the path I was walking was the correct one,” he admits. “Being away from loved ones in unfamiliar environments made my time at WPI more challenging in some ways. But interacting with the diverse community here taught me that as long as you trust yourself and the process, academic or professional setbacks will never detract from your worth as an individual.”
With support from his research advisor and colleagues, Sharrma has been able to balance his research, leadership roles, and academic goals. Looking ahead, he plans to work in the robotics industry before pursuing a PhD, where he hopes to further his research in bionics and prosthetics. “The various things I’ve done at WPI have equipped me with the real-life skills and exposure to different fields of research and industry that I feel will help me better understand what I must pursue during my PhD.”
Beyond academia, Sharrma is dedicated to accessible education and open-source robotics. He contributes to Open Horizon, an initiative he founded to democratize robotics education, and hopes to expand his work in science communication to help newcomers navigate the field more effectively.
Reflecting on his journey, Sharrma is grateful for the opportunities he has found at WPI. “To be honest, I had never heard of WPI much before,” he admits. “But after reading into it, I felt like I’d come across a hidden gem. WPI may have a small student body, but we’re a close-knit community, and I’m sure the network I’ve cultivated during my time here will prove to be enriching even after I’ve left campus.”
With a passion for innovation, a dedication to mentorship, and a relentless drive to push the boundaries of robotics, Sharrma continues to leave a lasting impact on WPI and the broader robotics community.