Harshvardhan Patil

Harshvardhan Patil’s road to Purdue AI Racing opened in fall 2023, when he approached Professor Daniel Williams about vehicle dynamics research. By January 2024, he was running an independent study on aerodynamic analysis and handling, building a MATLAB time domain yaw plane model with aerodynamic effects and nonlinear tire simulation. That work culminated in a technical paper published at SAE WCX 2025—and, as Patil recalls, “Professor Williams gave me the opportunity to join the Purdue AI Racing team.”

Today, as a vehicle dynamics and controls engineer, Patil develops a steering model that will be integrated into control algorithm development for a feed forward controller, and he analyzes telemetry data while validating test plans in simulation. Looking ahead, he sees physical AI reshaping industry: “I believe physical AI will have significant impact in transportation through autonomous vehicles and freight transport, improving efficiency and safety. It will also transform manufacturing through advanced robotics, reducing risk while increasing cost efficiency through scalability.”