Vani Sundaram is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in the Haptic Intelligence Department, under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Kuchenbecker. She earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Biomechanics, from the University of Pittsburgh, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. She was a US National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. 

Her doctoral research, titled "Embedded Sensing Mechanisms for Multi-Unit Soft Robotic Systems", aimed at creating scalable and dependable soft sensors for extensive soft robotic applications. Vani tackled the shortcomings of conventional capacitive stretch sensing when controlling the deformation of a novel soft actuator type, the Hydraulically Amplified Self-healing ELectrostatic (HASEL) actuators, by introducing a magnetic sensing solution. This approach significantly enhanced the controllability of complex, multi-unit HASEL-based systems and of traditional soft systems, such as those based on pneumatics. The summary of her research is an innovative model that merges 3-axis magnetic sensing with real-world data to correlate sensor outputs with 3D surface deformation. 

During her doctoral studies, Vani undertook a visiting researcher position at FAIR, where she developed a soft pneumatic hand incorporating the magnetic sensing technology. Outside her research, she is passionately involved in outreach, aiming to increase the participation and retention of underrepresented groups in STEAM. This commitment is demonstrated through co-founding the Community for Equity in Mechanical Engineering (CEME) and various outreach programs for youth. Furthermore, as a co-founder and current board member of the Community Roots Art Festival (CRAFt), she remains dedicated to fostering community engagement and promoting inclusivity through various events.