Vishal Raveendranathan

Groningen, NL

I am the Lead Engineer at NUWA, where I channel my passion for hardware, software, AI, and embedded systems into building cutting-edge technology. At NUWA, we are building next-generation smart products that seamlessly integrate physical and digital experiences. Every day, I collaborate with a talented team to develop intelligent products, leading projects across software development, embedded firmware, hardware design, industrial design, app/cloud infrastructure and AI/ML research. My focus is on crafting seamless, intuitive experiences that enhance how people interact with technology.

Previously, I pursued my Ph.D. at the Robotics Lab at the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, where I worked on developing the mechatronic control system for an active powered prosthetic leg as part of the European Commission Horizon 2020 project MyLeg (2018-2022). My work involved developing the control architecture, designing the electronics and firmware, carefully selecting components to build a functional powered leg within four years, and ultimately achieving clinical testing with a transfemoral amputee. Additionally, I conducted musculoskeletal simulations using OpenSim, aiming to develop a digital twin of the prosthetic user, helping to refine control strategies and enhance performance.

If you’d like to connect, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn or other social channels.

Research & Professional Interests

I am passionate about developing smart systems that integrate AI and embedded technology. My areas of interest include:

Embedded Systems
Mechatronics & Robotics
AI/ML Infrastructure for Mechatronic Systems
Biomechanics & Human-Computer Interaction
Sensor Fusion & Real-time Control
System Engineering
Rapid Prototyping & Product Development

My Journey So Far

I hold an MSc in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering from the University of Leeds (2015), where my thesis focused on “Muscle Contributions during Transient and Steady States of Level Ground Walking.”

Before my Ph.D., I worked as a Flight Software Engineer at TeamIndus, an aerospace research company in India (2016-2017). TeamIndus was a finalist in the Google Lunar XPrize Challenge, aiming to land a spacecraft and rover on the moon. My work included bare-metal embedded programming, driver development, and sensor integration for space-grade systems.

Personal & Hobbies

Outside of work, I enjoy aquascaping and maintaining a planted aquarium. You can check out my tank on @bobosaquaworld on Instagram.

I love tinkering with electronics, constantly pushing the boundaries of MCUs and keeping my hands busy with new projects. Lately, I’ve developed a newfound passion for 3D printing, using it to prototype personal projects and even print toys for my kids. Thanks to Flutter, I’ve also dabbled in app development, sometimes maintaining apps or exploring new ideas. Additionally, I’m making an effort to revive my guitar skills after more than a decade away from it. When I need a break from engineering, I turn to digital sketching and animations, allowing myself to think creatively beyond the technical world.

news

Feb 01, 2025	Delivered Nuwa pen to the First Customer
Apr 01, 2023	Promoted as a Lead Engineer @ NUWA Pen, Groningen
Oct 01, 2022	Joined as System Engineer - Sensor Fusion @ NUWA Pen, Groningen
Sep 07, 2022	Testing MyLeg Prosthetic Leg in Action
Jun 02, 2022	Compliance test for Active Prosthetic Leg - MyLeg.

latest posts

selected publications

IEEE

MyKnee: Mechatronic design of a novel powered variable stiffness prosthetic knee

Gregorio Tagliabue, Vishal Raveendranathan, Amedeo Gariboldi, and 3 more authors

IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, 2024

Bib HTML

@article{tagliabue2024myknee,
  title = {MyKnee: Mechatronic design of a novel powered variable stiffness prosthetic knee},
  author = {Tagliabue, Gregorio and Raveendranathan, Vishal and Gariboldi, Amedeo and Hut, Lennard Y and Zucchelli, Andrea and Carloni, Raffaella},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics},
  year = {2024},
  publisher = {IEEE},
  url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10542364},
}

PLoS ONE

Musculoskeletal model of osseointegrated transfemoral amputees in OpenSim : Forward Dynamic Simualtion

Vishal Raveendranathan , Vera GM Kooiman, and Raffaella Carloni

PLoS ONE, 2023

Bib HTML

@article{raveendranathan2023musculoskeletal,
  title = {Musculoskeletal model of osseointegrated transfemoral amputees in OpenSim : Forward Dynamic Simualtion},
  author = {Raveendranathan, Vishal and Kooiman, Vera GM and Carloni, Raffaella},
  journal = {PLoS ONE},
  volume = {18},
  number = {9},
  pages = {e0288864},
  year = {2023},
  publisher = {Public Library of Science San Francisco, CA USA},
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0288864},
}

MDPI

Learning to ascend stairs and ramps: Deep reinforcement learning for a physics-based human musculoskeletal model

Aurelien JC Adriaenssens, Vishal Raveendranathan, and Raffaella Carloni

Sensors, 2022

Bib HTML

@article{adriaenssens2022learning,
  title = {Learning to ascend stairs and ramps: Deep reinforcement learning for a physics-based human musculoskeletal model},
  author = {Adriaenssens, Aurelien JC and Raveendranathan, Vishal and Carloni, Raffaella},
  journal = {Sensors},
  volume = {22},
  number = {21},
  pages = {8479},
  year = {2022},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/21/8479},
}

IEEE
Musculoskeletal Model of an Osseointegrated Transfemoral Amputee in OpenSim : Inverse Dynamic Simulation

Vishal Raveendranathan, and Raffaella Carloni

In 2020 8th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob), Nov 2020

Abs DOI Bib HTML Video

This paper focuses on the development and validation of a generic musculoskeletal model of an osseointegrated transfemoral amputee. The model has been developed using OpenSim with the final goal of obtaining a competent tool to study and better understand the biomechanics of osseointegrated transfemoral amputees. The model has been validated on the experimental data obtained on one osseointegrated transfemoral amputee during level ground walking.
@inproceedings{Raveendranathan2020, author = {Raveendranathan, Vishal and Carloni, Raffaella}, booktitle = {2020 8th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob)}, doi = {10.1109/BioRob49111.2020.9224422}, isbn = {978-1-7281-5907-2}, month = nov, pages = {1196--1201}, publisher = {IEEE}, title = {Musculoskeletal Model of an Osseointegrated Transfemoral Amputee in OpenSim : Inverse Dynamic Simulation}, url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9224422/}, year = {2020}, }