Le Figaro Nantes
Usually, educational radars display the speed of vehicles to make motorists slow down.
With their
“radar for runners”
, two young entrepreneurs from Nantes plan on the contrary to make walkers and athletes speed up.
On the island of Nantes, at the foot of the Yellow Crane, since Wednesday, a 2.50 meter salmon-colored terminal, topped with a solar panel, reveals the pace of individuals passing in front of it.
As long as you do not go more than 35 km/h, nor less than 4 km/h.
Henri Ternon, 27, and Albéric Aubron, 26, imagined this concept during a call to experiment launched by the metropolis last spring.
The two athletes, who launched into the world of entrepreneurship a year ago, are among the eight winners to have been selected to imagine a project linked to “
global health”
.
In this context, they received a grant of 25,000 euros.
“Health is before and after treatment.
This is before, in prevention, to avoid getting sick.
We believe a lot in sport
,” explains Francky Trichet, elected metropolitan official in charge of innovation.
Read alsoSport-Health: despite the government's efforts, half of French people do not do enough sport
Two students participated
On this not very sunny morning, the rare joggers still see their speed displayed in big green figures.
“Having the longest possible autonomy with a suitable solar panel size”
was one of the most complicated aspects to imagine, says Damien Lavergne, innovation project manager at Icam.
Without the engineering school, through which the two founders of the start-up Coureurs also went, nothing would have been possible.
The final year of study for future professionals is divided into two parts: six months of internship and six months of concrete projects for both
“big companies”
and individuals.
Behind his computer, Gaël Pichot is sorting out the final technical details.
At the age of 23, it was he, with his friend Élisa Guerin-Leray, who designed the terminal, based on the specifications transmitted by the inventors.
“We based ourselves on knowledge that we already had and on a classic educational car radar
,” continues the man who has been working on it since September.
The sunshine has been studied so that the radar does not fail when the sun disappears.
Except at night, when it stops between 11:30 p.m. and 6 a.m., so as not to disturb the neighborhood and avoid light pollution.
“There was a big design challenge because it is self-service furniture in public space.
It should not be movable, and resist, for example, throwing cans!”
, illustrates Albéric Aubron.
Thursday morning, Damien Lavergne, Albéric Aubron, Henri Ternon and Gaël Pichot presented their radar to LT/Le Figaro
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“They are among the pioneers
,” notes Francky Trichet, praising the merits of Nantes, a city where it is good to do business.
Henri Ternon remembers seeing a similar radar at the Doué-la-Fontaine zoo.
There, young and old compare their performance to that of different species.
In 2022, the town of Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) also installed an object of this kind, more resembling a road radar, at the end of a racing track.
This was part of
“active design”
.
This technique consists of transforming public space so that people take up sport, without necessarily realizing it.
“Encourage people to play sports through games, without knowing it
,” summarizes the vice-president of Nantes Métropole, who will inaugurate the famous radar on Saturday in parallel with the new Alice Milliat games space located next door.
This large experimental colorful fresco bearing the name of a sportswoman at the origin of the women's Olympic Games will remain until October 2024.
The radar is installed for one year.
In the next fortnight, a second will appear on the banks of the Erdre, a popular route for runners.
As the year progresses, the system will be evaluated.
The entrepreneurs plan to question users.
They will also receive information on the number of users passing by at more than 8 km/h each day and even each year.
Initially, the pair launched their business around the organization of group jogging sessions in the evenings during the week.
From now on, their new professional objective is to industrialize their invention to offer it to communities.
While continuing their personal challenges: after the Nantes marathon, they are aiming for the PicAriège, in August, a 70 km race with an elevation gain of 7,000 m.
In March, an athletics track will be painted next to this Alice Milliat play area, and will go off the radar.
LT/Le Figaro