Lokesh Saharan

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Dr. Lokesh Saharan received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas in December 2017. His primary research interests include rehabilitation robotics, smart materials, soft robotics, and additive manufacturing. Dr. Saharan has authored several research articles in peer-reviewed journals and conferences along with a book chapter. He recently received a UT system rising STARs grant with a matching UTPB school of engineering grant worth $470,000. Currently, Dr. Saharan is also leading the Advanced Manufacturing Center in the college of engineering. This center is funded by $1.1M funding from the Odessa Development Corporation. Moreover, he has served as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed conferences and journals.

Before joining UTPB, he was an assistant teaching professor at Penn State Behrend, where he developed new courses for the biomedical minor in the mechanical engineering department. Besides, Dr. Saharan worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Miami University of Ohio for one year, where he contributed to the Miami University Center for Assistive Technology. Before moving to the United States, he also worked as an Assistant Professor (Instruction) of mechanical engineering at the National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra (India).

Education

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX

M.Tech., Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India

B.Tech., Mechanical Engineering, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India

Research Interests

• Additive Manufacturing 
• Rehabilitation Robotics
• Smart Materials and Structures 
• Engineering Education 
• Biomechanics 
• Soft Robotics 

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor  - August 2020 – Present Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas Permian Basin

Assistant Teaching Professor  - August 2019 - July 2020 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Penn State Behrend, Erie, PA

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - June 2018 - July 2019 Dept. of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH

Research Associate - January 2018 - May 2018 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX

Research Assistant - August 2014 - December 2017 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX

Assistant Professor (Instruction) - August 2012 - June 2014 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India

Research and Teaching Assistant - August 2009 - June 2011 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India

Publications

Book Chapter 

• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2019),"Novel twisted and coiled polymer artificial muscles for biomedical and robotics applications." Materials for Biomedical Engineering. Elsevier, 45-75.

Peer-Reviewed Journal

• Saharan, , et al., (2020), “Modeling and Simulation of Three Link Robotic Finger Powered by Nylon Artificial Muscles - Euler-Lagrangian Approach”; ASME Journal of Mechanism and Robotics, 12(1), 014501, 2020.
• Saharan, , et al., (2017), “iGrab hand orthosis powered by Twisted and Coiled Polymeric Muscles”; Smart Materials and Structures, 2(10), p. 105048.
• Wu, L., Jung de Andrade, M., Saharan, , Rome, R., Baughman, R. H., and Tadesse, Y. (2017), “Compact and Low-cost Humanoid Hand Powered by Nylon Artificial Muscles”; Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 12(2), 026004.
• Tadesse, Y., Wu, L., and Saharan, , (2016), “Musculoskeletal system of bioinspired robotic systems”; ASME Mechanical engineering, Special Issue, 138(3), S11-S16.
• Saharan, , and Mittal, M.L. (2013), “Comparison of Various PSO Variants with Different Mathematical Functions”, International Journal on Theoretical and Applied Research in Mechanical Engineering, 2(3).

Peer-Reviewed Conferences Publications

• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2017c), “Design of a 3D Printed Lightweight Orthotic Device Based on Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscle: iGrab Hand Orthosis.”, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials+ Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, Portland, OR, USA.
• Sharma, A.; Saharan, , Wu, L; and Tadesse, Y. (2017), “3D Printed orthotic hand with wrist mechanism using Twisted and Coiled Polymer muscles”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE 2017), Tampa, FL
• Arjun, A., Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016, August 21-24, 2016), “Design of a 3D Printed Hand Prosthesis Actuated by Nylon 6-6 Polymer Based Artificial Muscles”; 12th Conference on Automation Science and Engineering, The Worthington Renaissance Hotel Fort Worth, TX, USA.
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016), “Robotic hand with locking mechanism using TCP muscles for applications in prosthetic hand and humanoids”, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials+ Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016a), “Fabrication Parameters and Performance Relationship of Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscles”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE 2016), Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016b), “A Novel Design of Thermostat based on Fishing Line Muscles”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE 2016), Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Conference Presentations And Invited Talks

• Keynote Speaker at International Seminar on Future scope of Robotics and Space Science (2016), National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Chandigarh, India
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016a). “Fabrication Parameters and Performance Relationship of Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscles”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE 2016), Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016b). “A Novel Design of Thermostat based on Fishing Line Muscles”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE 2016), Phoenix, AZ, USA.
• Saharan, , and Tadesse, Y. (2016c). “Robotic hand with locking mechanism using TCP muscles for applications in prosthetic hand and humanoids”; SPIE Smart Structures and Materials+ Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
• Wu, L., & Tadesse, Y. (2016). Musculoskeletal System for Bio-Inspired Robotic Systems Based on Ball and Socket Joints.”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition(IMECE 2016), Phoenix, AZ, USA.
• Guest Seminar (2015). Additive Manufacturing in Soft Robotics, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Chandigarh, India.