In outdoor environment traditional perception systems are reaching technical limitations: ultrasounds are disturbed by wind while optical devices such as laser or vision are sensitive to changes in lighting, rain, mist or dust. Cemagref has been involved for several years in research to bring innovative solutions to the problem of perception in external environment. We have thus developed an original radar imager, based on frequency modulated continuous wave technique. Once mounted on a vehicle this radar equipped with a rotating antenna, is able to draw a 2D mapping of the environment by using the displacement of the carrier. The advances made during this program can be regarded today as sufficient to file a patent and bring us close to a technology transfer. The objective here is to achieve PELICAN radar, which will be a synthesis of research conducted by Cemagref in the field of radar during previous projects so as to lead to a system close to a marketable product. Developments carried out within this program would contribute to a new perception system able to solve some problems in rescue robotics (earthquake, firefighting…). It could also deal with new needs expressed in the environmental domain. To demonstrate the potential of the Radar, we have chosen to associate with an environmental application of mapping in rivers monitoring. The work will be supported by a team involved in protecting the results, using a strategy adapted to the project.

The FROILOC technology has been developed by Cemagref and has passed a first stage of validation (Technology Readiness level = TRL7). It consists in an air handling system able to deliver a cold and ultraclean air flow localised on work places and machines in the workshops of the food industry. Its purpose is to 1) maintain a cold and ultraclean atmosphere around the food product being processed and 2) improve the working conditions by allowing the operators to stand in a warm atmosphere (above 13°C). Previous work phases have led to positive results, validated in industrial conditions, for part of the application situations that had been identified. These situations had been initially listed in a specification guidebook established with food industry executives and engineers. The FROILOC-V project aims now at 1) consolidating the scientific basis and technical solutions in order to enhance the capacity of industrial application and 2) extend the intellectual property and prepare the know-how transmission to industry. The project is divided in five tasks, the first three being mainly devoted to experimental work. The fourth task will produce the documents and demonstration tools for the know-how transmission. The fifth tasks, conducted by the research valorisation service of Cemagref will consist in carrying out all the operations for the licensing of the new techniques issued from the project, together with the prospecting preparing the industrial application.