INVESTIGATION

The CEA, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, is the leading technological research center in France. Serving the French State, its economy, and citizens, it is the only French public research organisation in the world’s top 100 global innovators (Derwent 2018-19). Major inventions have come out of these laboratories, some of them linked to the mountain. On-site investigation.

Conducting an investigation at the CEA in Grenoble is already a challenge in terms of access. The site is secured: Barriers, access by badge, and escort by authorized personnel only. An official ID card is requisitioned for the duration of the visit. On the pedestrian path leading to the premises, Gaëlle Mistrulli, in charge of showroom coordination and communication projects, tells us that the CEA works in four research areas—defence and security, nuclear and renewable energies, fundamental research, and technological research for industry—via a network of nine research centres in France, including Grenoble, and seven regional platforms. In 2020, it was the top patent filer in Europe.

In Grenoble, the CEA devotes most of its research to the development of innovative solutions related to energy, health, information, and communication: Electric batteries, nanotechnologies, materials, biotechnology, etc. To perform these tasks, it relies on its Technological Research Directorate (DRT) and its three institutes—CEA-Leti, for micro and nanotechnologies; CEA-Liten, for new energy technologies; and CEA-List, for smart digital systems. Boosted by the culture of innovation, the DRT’s ambition is nothing less than to disseminate its technologies to industry, ensuring a bridge between the scientific and economic worlds. The task is arduous but the means are substantial. Every year, its innovations lead to the creation of six to ten start-ups, several of which have become major players such as Aledia (WireLED display technology) and Isorg (organic and printed electronics).

Along the way, we arrive at the Y. Spot, an infrastructure dedicated to open and collaborative innovation, inaugurated in January 2020 with the ambition of hosting disruptive innovations that will shape the world of tomorrow.

Sometimes innovations are the result of personal experiences. The Rescue Drone is no exception. “I am a wellseasoned ski touring enthusiast. I’ve even coached it. In the event of an accident, the speed of the emergency response is vital. I asked myself how to make locating avalanche victims faster by exploiting the third dimension, with a drone and an antenna network,” explains Norbert Daniele. When you know that the chances of survival in an avalanche rarely exceed 15 minutes, this innovation is a hopeful sign. In concrete terms, the Rescue Drone and its on-board antenna enable emergency services to detect the victim by locating the radio signal from his or her smartphone, and then to estimate the angle of arrival and the distance using complex algorithms. As the drone converges on the victim, the location becomes clearer. The antenna can even be deployed outside mobile coverage. “We imagined two scenarios: One for a collaborative smartphone, i.e. Bluetooth enabled, and one for a non-collaborative smartphone, where

we rely on GSM signals,” explains Norbert Daniele. Whether the Rescue Drone is used in winter for avalanche victims not equipped with an avalanche beacon or in summer for people in danger in exposed areas, it is a highly effective search tool. “Simulations on a 200m x 100m search area showed that a smartphone could be located within minutes. We started the programme at the end of 2021 with a drone pilot and partners. The technology will be available on the market in 2023. It is not a substitute for the work ensured by rescue services on the ground, user training, nor for the use of a shovel/probe/beacon, but it is a complement,” explains Norbert Daniele. The technology, supported by the AURA region through the EasyPOC program, is being presented at Mountain Planet 2022.

The mastery of micro and nanotechnologies and on-board antennas provides more opportunities for drone usage in the mountains, in rugged natural terrain. Landslides, roads closed due to rock falls: Gravity-driven hazards are more important here than elsewhere. To meet this safety challenge, CEA Leti has used its skills to serve Géolithe—a geological, geophysical, and geotechnical engineering consultancy firm—and its partners. The result of their collaboration is ROCDRO, a project to monitor natural gravity-driven hazards by drone. “CEA-Leti has worked on the design of a specific ultra-wide range antenna, combined with a radar module to monitor the mountain from a drone, getting as close as possible to the walls.” Where people need heavy equipment in hard-to-reach or even dangerous places, the drone will soon be able to scan the mountain. “The idea is to mix drone, antenna, and sounding technologies to see deep into cracks, look for water, and determine rock stability. It is a kind of X-ray of the mountain.” The technology is being presented at Mountain Planet 2022.

Smart watches, scales, and even tennis rackets are already mainstream. The next step is the smart ski. With a view to the 2023 World Ski Championships in Courchevel-Méribel, the CEA and Rossignol and Lumiplan are working on developing smart skis, with sensors that relay skier performance indicators to a smartphone application. The results will then be transmitted on the screens at the bottom of the pistes to create a unique challenge accessible to the public. Supported by Cluster Montagne, the project is financed at more than 50% by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region.

Before considering civilian uses, innovation sometimes serves military purposes first, even in the mountains. Since December 2019, the CEA’s Direction de la Recherche technologique (DRT) has signed a partnership agreement with the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. What’s the objective? Participate in innovative projects to improve the operational performance of troops in vertical and cold environments with high operational constraints. Within the framework of this partnership, the CEA can rely on the high-mountain military school, EMHM, as well as the Armed Forces’ mountain and extreme cold expertise center. To date, two projects are under study. The first concerns the integration of a visual HMI (Human Machine Interface) for paralpinism and aerotow skis. The second, broader topic is part of a new field of cooperation based on using “nomadic autonomy in a deployed camp”.

Our investigation at CEA-Grenoble ends with a visit to the showroom and its hundred or so demonstrators and models designed to give concrete examples of CEA Tech’s work in the fields of health, transport, information technology, energy, and materials. Before our eyes: A prototypical solar road, a BCI-(Brain Computer Interface) enabled exoskeleton, a pocket-sized analysis lab barely larger than a smartphone, a smart tennis racket, augmented reality glasses, magnetometry, and other advances in cyber security and artificial intelligence.

Full of admiration, we conclude this exciting and inspiring visit.