Dr Prasad Vinayak Patil

Dr Prasad Vinayak Patil
Assistant Professor (Grade-I) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus, India

Dr. Prasad Vinayak Patil is an Assistant Professor (Grade-I) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus, India. He completed his PhD at IIT Kharagpur, India, and brings over a decade of combined experience in research and teaching.

His expertise lies in marine robotics, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), ship dynamics, and intelligent navigation systems, with a strong focus on addressing real-world ocean engineering challenges. His research canters on the design, modelling, control, and optimization of underwater and surface robotic systems operating in complex ocean environments. He has contributed to AUV manoeuvring, ocean-informed navigation, and propeller design, integrating physics-based hydrodynamic modelling with advanced AI and machine learning techniques.

More recently, his work emphasizes machine learning and digital twin frameworks for maritime research, enabling predictive modelling, adaptive control, and data-driven decision-making using oceanographic and satellite data. His interdisciplinary work also includes AI-driven propulsion systems, autonomous marine robots for environmental monitoring, and drone-based disaster response.

He actively collaborates with researchers and institutions in Australia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, strengthening global research exchange in marine robotics and intelligent systems. He supervises PhD scholars working on underwater plastic detection, smart marine vessels, and autonomous systems for ocean sustainability, while also contributing to curriculum development, laboratory setup, and student mentoring.

His long-term vision is to develop scalable, cost-effective, and intelligent robotic solutions for ocean monitoring, climate resilience, and sustainable maritime operations through global collaboration.