Research Overview

Explore my research work! These projects would not be possible without exceptional supervision!

Medical and Surgical Robotics

Design and development of a 6-DoF versatile catheter robot. More robots are coming soon!!

VR-based Rehabilitation Robotics

Enhancing the efficacy of upper-limb rehabilitation through robotics (SPINDLE - haptic parallel manipulator).

Motion Planning for Endovascular Interventions

Development of path optimization and real-time motion control algorithms for automating endovascular interventions.

Biomechanics

Investigating subject biomechanics to enhance the efficacy of training activities of daily living.

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North Carolina State University

2022 - Present

Doctor of Philosophy - Mechanical Engineering

Education

University at Buffalo

Master of Science - Robotics

2020 - 2022

Professional Experience

Research Assistant

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | North Carolina State University

2022 - Present

• Current Advisor: Dr. Gregory Buckner

• Dissertation: Design, Development, and Experimental Validation of a Catheter Robot with Motion Planning for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy.

2. Mechanical Engineering Senior Design:

• Assisted Dr. Chau Tran as a Teaching Assistant/Instructor with Industry Sponsored Project - (Corning Inc.) 415: Mechanical Engineering Design I and 416: Mechanical Engineering Design II).

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | North Carolina State University

Teaching Assistant/Instructor

2024 - 2025

Download my CV

Bachelor of Technology - Mechanical Engineering

BML Munjal University

2016 - 2020

2020- 2022

Research Assistant/Associate

• Supervisor: Dr. Jiyeon Kang

• Master's Thesis: Emulation of activities of daily living tasks with a haptic Robotic device to promote rehabilitation of stroke survivors.

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | University at Buffalo

1. Controls Lab:

• Assisting Dr. Nicholas G and Dr. Joe Manning as a Teaching Assistant/Instructor for MAE 405 Controls Lab.

2025 - Present

3. Fluid and Thermal Sciences Laboratory: 

• Assisted Dr. Srinath Ekkad as co-laboratory director in training new teaching assistants with mechatronics equipment and data acquisition devices, along with teaching undergraduate students.

2022 - 2023

Course Developer and Teaching Assistant - Experience Learning

2020- 2022

Department of Engineering Education | University at Buffalo

• Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Olewnik

• Assisted in developing two courses (ENS 321 and ENS 322): different structured mechatronics experiments using microcontrollers to teach cross-domain theoretical concepts and industrial system validation procedures.

• Assisted in teaching mechatronics design labs to undergraduate students using affordable microcontrollers and sensors.

2019

Robotics Research Trainee

CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organization | India

• Supervisor: Dr. Ranjan Jha

• Design and Development of a 3-DoF Parallel Manipulator for Ankle Rehabilitation.

• Design and Development of a Cardiovascular Catheter Insertion Mechanism.

2022 - Present

Research Contributions

As a robotics researcher, my life's mission is to pursue my passion for designing and developing versatile medical technologies, rehabilitation robotics, human-robot interaction, and biomechanics, advancing these essential fields.

Solving medical problems with creative, innovative and translational robotic methods!

Graduate Research Assistant @ AI-based Wearable Robotics Lab

2020 - 2022

• Developed a haptic-enabled SPINDLE with VR for upper limb rehabilitation using game theory.

• SPINDLE is a 3-DOF parallel manipulator that enables patients to practice object manipulation tasks by adaptively assisting and resisting the user's upper limb movements.

• Derived the manipulator's forward and inverse kinematics to establish task-space control. Implemented kinematics and servo position control for the manipulator in LabVIEW.

• Incorporated an adaptive feedforward controller for smoother end-effector motion.

Graduate Research Assistant @ North Carolina State University

2022 - Present

• I have designed and developed a versatile and portable 6-DoF catheter robot for image-guided endovascular interventions.

  • A single robot enables multiple endovascular procedures: versatile mechanisms accommodate an array of off-the-shelf instruments (guidewires, micro and guide catheters) with varying diameters (⌀ 0.33-2.97 mm) and lengths.

  • This affordable robot architecture is designed to accommodate off-the-shelf Y-connectors and a medical torquer for angiography and precise instrument rotation.

  • The CAN bus communication protocol is used to simultaneously control the 5 motors (coupled with actuation modules).

• Developed a framework to stream the vascular centeline waypoints from 3D Slicer to coding platforms, facilitating the development of path-planning algorithms and optimal path identification.

• Development of a real-time motion controller incorporated with a feedforward model for accurate instrument position in the vascular phantoms.

• I have also led and contributed to writing literature reviews, merits, and aims for academic grants that involve a novel, versatile, and portable catheter robot.

Publications:

• Kantu, N.T., Osswald, R., Kandel, A. and Kang, J., 2024. Resist-as-Needed ADL Training With SPINDLE for Patients With Tremor. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 32, pp.1735-1748.

• He, P., Kantu, N.T., Xu, B., Swami, C.P., Saleem, G.T. and Kang, J., 2021. A novel 3-RRR spherical parallel instrument for daily living emulation (SPINDLE) for functional rehabilitation of patients with stroke. International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, 18(3), p.17298814211012325.

Publications:

• Kantu, Nikhil Tej, et al. "Portable and Versatile Catheter Robot for Image-Guided Cardiovascular Interventions." IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (2025).

• N. Kantu, S. Jernigan, G. Buckner, “Autonomous Robotic Catheterization for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT)”, NCSU MAE Graduate Research Symposium 2025, Raleigh, USA.

• Kantu, Nikhil Tej, et al. “Portable and Versatile Catheter Robot for Image-Guided Endovascular Interventions”, Duke Medical Robotics Symposium 2024, Durham, USA.

• Kantu, Nikhil Tej, et al. Modular and Portable Robot for Image-Guided Endovascular Interventions. , International Symposium on Medical Robotics 2023, Georgia, USA.