Brut. Media steps inside ALTEN’s Innovation Division to meet the digital twins
In ALTEN’s Innovation Division labs, our engineers don’t just imagine the future, they model it. Digital twins, simulation, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0… every day, our teams explore new ways to better understand and optimise complex systems. To see one of these technologies in action, Brut., France’s leading social media news outlet, stepped inside our Toulouse lab. Alongside Antony Costes, Innovation Lead Engineer, the journalist took part in a unique experiment: creating his own digital twin to discover how modelling and simulation can enhance human performance.
The goal? To uncover how technology used across industries can now deliver groundbreaking applications, even in elite sports.
Scan, model, optimise: the digital twin recipe
“The idea is to capture the athlete’s anatomical properties to create a usable 3D replica,” explains Antony Costes, Innovation Engineer at ALTEN Lab in Toulouse.
1. 3D capture: millimetre precision
The process begins with a high-resolution 3D scan of the athlete’s body. In just five minutes, hundreds of data points are captured to reconstruct a point cloud that faithfully mirrors their real morphology. “We need the subject to stay still to ensure an accurate reconstruction,” Antony notes. Once the scan is complete, the raw data is processed to generate a 3D model ready for simulation software.
2. The virtual wind tunnel: testing infinite possibilities
This is where the magic happens. The digital twin is placed in a virtual wind tunnel, where engineers simulate airflow and analyse aerodynamic drag—one of the biggest performance barriers in cycling. “The beauty of virtual testing is that we can trial endless configurations in record time. In a real wind tunnel, each test would take hours.”
3. Optimisation: finding the perfect position
Using these simulations, ALTEN’s engineers pinpoint the optimal position to maximise a cyclist’s efficiency:
- Reducing aerodynamic drag,
- Enhancing power output,
- Preserving comfort to prevent injuries.
“We analyse joint angles, posture, and even how forces are distributed to strike the best balance between performance and endurance,” Antony explains.s efforts pour trouver le meilleur compromis entre performance et endurance. » nous explique Antony.
From sport to industry: a winning technology transfer
While this technology was initially developed for professional cyclists, including Tour de France and Olympic athletes, its applications extend far beyond sports. Digital twins, simulation and modelling are now deployed across industries to analyse, test and optimise complex systems.
This same approach can be applied to:
- Workstation design – improving efficiency and safety,
- Equipment ergonomics – enhancing user comfort and performance,
- Industrial environments – innovating layouts and workflows.
Industrial applications
- Workstation ergonomics: Optimising joint angles to reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
- Product design: Simulating human interactions with virtual prototypes (seats, tools, equipment).
- Health and safety: Preventing risks associated with prolonged postures.
The goal? To bring the same level of precision and personalisation to industry as we do to sport.
Could you be next to get scanned?
The demo conducted with Alexis, a Brut journalist, proves this technology isn’t just for elite athletes.
At ALTEN, innovation is a virtuous cycle:
- Test on extreme cases (like high-performance sport).
- Validate the models and tools.
- Transfer these solutions to industry to improve everyday working conditions.
ALTEN Labs: innovation in motion
This behind-the-scenes look at ALTEN’s Innovation Division showcases the breadth of technologies developed in our Labs. Through digital twins, our teams pioneer new ways to model, understand and optimise real-world systems.
From sports to industry, these efforts share a common goal: turning research, simulation, and data into tangible, value-creating applications.