Manoj Srinivasan Research Associate Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering D202D, E-Quad Princeton University, NJ 08543 Phone: 607-229-3627 Email: msriniva@princeton.edu

 

Research

  

Legged locomotion and motor control. Why do animals move the way they do? And how do they do it so well? I am interested in obtaining a simple and tractable, yet complete, theory of legged locomotion in humans and other animals -- a theory that will reliably predict how an animal will move in a novel situation (say, humans on the moon) and how the animal will respond to perturbations (say, stepping on a banana peel).

Numerical optimal control and optimization. A key component of my research is the solution of optimization problems with differential equations as contraints (optimal control). The optimal control problems that arise from legged locomotion questions can be large-scale, non-smooth (depending on the formulation), and generally numerially messy, especially when there are multiple legs contacting the ground at various points in time. Challenges remain in going from a hypothesis of optimality to a fast and reliable computation of the consequences of optimality.

Muscle mechanics. Stability of muscle micro-structure, muscle energetics, and simplified muscle models.

Friction mechanics. Micro-mechanics of friction.

Mechanics of rolling objects, multi-body dynamics. Mechanics miscellany.


Research in the Media: Look here for my research in the popular media, e.g., the discovery channel and public radio.

Selected Publications

  

For a complete list of publications and pre-prints, please look here.

Computer optimization of a minimal biped model discovers walking and running.
Manoj Srinivasan & Andy Ruina. Nature. Available Online, September 2005.
Some press coverage including an amusing video on Discovery Channel, and a syndicated radio show by NSF.
Preprint.    More details and videos.

Idealized walking and running gaits minimize work.
Manoj Srinivasan & Andy Ruina. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series A
Volume 463, pages 2429-2446, 2007. PDF

A collisional model of the energetic cost of support work qualitatively explains
leg-sequencing in walking and galloping, pseudo-elastic leg behavior in running
and the walk-to-run transition. Andy Ruina, John E. A. Bertram & Manoj Srinivasan. preprint
Journal of theoretical biology. Volume 14, Issue 2, pages 170-192. Online, 14 June 2005.

Ph.D. Thesis  Why walk and run: Energetic costs and energetic optimality in simple
mechanics-based models of a bipedal animal.
Manoj Srinivasan, Cornell University, 2006.

Teaching

Spring 2007: APC/MOL 360: Biological Dynamics at Princeton.
For more details of courses taught - past, present and future. Look here.

Education & Employment

B. Tech. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, 2000.
Ph.D. Cornell University, 2006.
Research Associate, Princeton University, 2006-   and Lecturer, Princeton University, 2007.