Research Projects

Bioinspired Surface Textures for tuning friction

The goal of this project is to develop novel laser textured surfaces that enable tuning the friction in mechanically interacting surfaces and thereby achieve either improved efficiency of the system or the desired level of friction. The novelty of the project is in identifying the textures in that does similar function and transfer them to real life applications.

Development of Biodegradable packaging materials

Current methods of waste management in India are highly unregulated, in spite of Government efforts. Thus, most plastic-based packaging materials end up in landfills. The goal of this project is to develop alternative solutions that are cost-effective and biodegradable, using the circular economy approach.

*The extent of pollution is shown in the video, where a dog is walking on the floating waste in a canal.

Insect eyes

A wide range of microstructures is found in Nature that can inspire in development of a wide variety of optical structures. A good example is the eyes of the insects such as flies, bees, and some subterranean beetles, which are capable of reducing the adhesion of pollen and dust. Corneal surfaces of a few insects were found to have nipple-like nanostructures that reduce reflection. Anti-fogging coatings were also developed by taking inspiration from fly eyes. Thus the insect eye's outer surface layers provide a huge scope for developing a coating that could be of potential use in engineering applications.