Viswanath Meenakshisundaram

Viswanath joined the DREAMS Lab in 2015 and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering. Viswanath’s current research involves the development of novel processes and machines for Vat Photopolymerization of high-performance polymers. His collaboration with the Long Research Group at Virginia Tech led to the development of the first additive manufacturing process to 3D print the unprocessable polyimide - Kapton™.  His research has led to the development of several IP’s for the synthesis of various performance photopolymers and vat photopolymerization systems. In addition, Viswanath is interested in modeling the structure-process-property relationships to determine the optimal processing parameters for vat photopolymerization.

Viswanath graduated from PES Institute of Technology, India, with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2012. As an undergraduate he worked on the design and fabrication of Quadcopters for high payload applications and was the Global Team Leader for the PACE – Sustainable Urban Transportation Design Competition in 2011. In 2012, he won the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Young Achiever Award for the inventing a smart walking stick with haptic feedback. He worked in Mercedes Benz Research and Development from 2012 to 2014, where he designed wiring harnesses for trucks. In 2014, he joined Prof. Ananthasuresh’s lab, M2D2, at Indian Institute of Science and developed a batteryless soil moisture sensor.

Outside the lab, Viswanath is a DIY enthusiast and enjoys building simple home automation devices. He also enjoys cooking and food-motivated travelling.