Vidya Sumathy

About me

I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Robotics and AI Group, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), working under the supervision of Prof. George Nikolakopoulos. My research focuses on reinforcement learning for multi-agent systems, control of soft robotic systems, underwaterwater robot systems, and autonomous navigation in unstructured environments.

I received my Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, where I developed robust adaptive control algorithms for aerial manipulator systems. I hold an M.Tech in Control Systems from IIST, Trivandrum, and a B.Tech in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation from CET, Trivandrum.

Research Interests

• Reinforcement Learning
• Non-linear Dynamics and Control
• Aerial and Underwater Robotics
• Soft Robotics
• Hardware Design and Implementation

Current Projects

• m4mining – Multi-scale, Multi-sensor Mapping for Sustainable Mining (EU Horizon Europe)
• SPEAR – Spatial Perception and Embodied Autonomy Research (EU Horizon Europe)

Teaching

• Instructor, Bio-Robotics (2024, 2025)
• Instructor, Introduction to Reinforcement Learning (2024)

PhD Thesis Supervision (Co-supervisor)

1. Gabriele Calzolari, Embodied System-Level Autonomy for Hyper-Modal Robotic Systems, LTU, Sweden, 2023–ongoing.
2. Ilektra Tsimpidi, AI-based Modelling and Reasoning of Natural Resources, LTU, Sweden, 2024–ongoing.
3. Theodore Frantzis, Reinforcement learning based navigation and control for Robotic Platforms, University of Patras, Greece, 2024-ongoing.
4. Fausto Mauricio Lagos, Sample-Efficient Reinforcement Learning for Quadrotor Control, LTU, Sweden, 2024–ongoing.

Master Thesis Supervision (Primary Supervisor unless otherwise noted)

1. Delia Veronese, Modelling, Control and Navigation for Autonomous Unerwater Vehicle, LTU, Sweden & University of Padova, Italy, 2025.
2. Edoardo Pisano, Multi-Agent Load Transportation using Reinforcement Learning, LTU, Sweden & University of Bologna, Italy, 2025.
3. Gabriel Wellander, Modeling and Control of Follower Underwater Robot, LTU, Sweden, 2025.
4. Zijian Cai, RL-Based Navigation and Mapping for Exploration, LTU, Sweden & Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2024.
5. Nathan Hiruy, EEG-based Control of Ground Robot, LTU, Sweden, 2024 (Co-supervisor).
6. Nathan Hiruy (Course Project), EMG Control of Pneumatic Air Muscle Arm, LTU, Sweden, 2024.
7. Manpreet Singh Lotte, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Docking with Vision, LTU, Sweden & University of Padova, Italy, 2024 (Mentor).