My name is Prashanth Chivkula, and I completed my PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2025 at Clemson University, where I worked with Phanindra Tallapragada in the Applied Dynamical Systems Lab. My research interests lie broadly in Robotics, Bio-inspired Robotics, and Nonlinear Dynamics. My PhD dissertation focused on developing novel underwater swimming robots, leveraging principles of multistability and resonance to achieve efficient and highly maneuverable locomotion.

Over the course of my PhD program, I designed and built several underactuated bio-inspired swimming robots. These include a bistable swimmer that harnesses elastic instability and rapid state transitions to achieve multiple fish-like gaits and enhanced maneuverability. Furthermore, I developed one of the most efficient bio-inspired swimming robots based on the concept of parametric resonance. In addition, I worked on other projects, including the development of a novel jumping robot.

Links to my robots can be found here.

I am currently looking for postdoctoral research opportunities in Robotics. The best way to reach me is by email:

• pchivku[at]g.clemson.edu