A digital book on photoelasticity, authored by a professor of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, has been published by the Institute of Physics, United Kingdom.

Developments in photoelasticity–a renaissance, authored by K. Ramesh, the Mahesh K. Chair Professor in the Department of Applied Mechanics, is based on decades of active research.

The book explains the use of photoelasticity, an experimental technique, to reveal stress/strain fields in models/structures through fringe patterns to understand complex problems to help develop flexible robots for disaster management and improve agricultural production.

Krishna Mahesh, managing director of Sundaram Brakes Linings Ltd. and founder-CEO of Sundaram Medical Devices, who along with his family instituted the chair; IIT-Madras Director V. Kamakoti; and Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), participated in the virtual event.

The book discusses the application of photoelasticity, ranging from mechanical sciences, neurobiology, plant biology, biomaterials to biomimetics and glass stress analysis.

Mr. Krishna Mahesh said the book dealt with how research was applicable in the industry. Mr. Kamakoti said the applications of the research could be a game changer.

Mr. Ramesh said engineering colleges across the country should restart their laboratory on photoelasticity “in view of the great strides the technique has made in the past two decades, offering hope for solving emerging problems in diverse fields.” The colleges could set up a virtual polariscope at a fraction of the cost of the original, he added.

Appreciation for his work came from professors at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and California Institute of Technology.