Completely automated photoelastic fringe analysis

The integration of two automated systems of photoelastic analysis has been performed. This combines the results obtained with a full-field polariscope based on phase-stepping techniques with those from spectral contents analysis. The latter technique identifies the absolute value of the isochromatic parameter at a point. This information is used to calibrate maps of relative retardation provided by the phase-stepping method. Thus, completely automatic determination of calibrated isochromatic and isoclinic patterns in photoelastic specimens is achieved.