HANKOOK i-Flex airless pull

JAN 2022

Hankook showed the first airless tire at Ces 2022 in Las Vegas: it is called i-Flex and, thanks to the collaboration with Hyundai, it was mounted on the modular Plug & Drive (PnD) platform of the South Korean manufacturer that allows the mobility of normally inanimate objects, robots and robotic concepts I-Flex is characterized by a biomimetic design, the result of science (biomimicry in fact) that studies and imitates the biological and biomechanical processes of nature and living beings as a source of inspiration for the improvement of human activities and technologies. It allows excellent shock absorption and considerable vertical load capacity, while the fact of not having air inside increases safety while reducing maintenance costs: having no air inside, it is not subject to punctures or leaks of pressure. Important qualities with a view to the mobility of the future with autonomous driving.

As for dimensions, the model seen at Ces is small, with a diameter of 400 mm and a width of 105 mm. As for the structure, to absorb the shocks of the road and be able to carry heavy loads, the Hankook technicians were inspired by the cellular structure of living organisms, with multilayer interconnections to connect the myriad of small hexagonal and tetragonal structures, of different stiffness for a more stable load support. In addition, the concave C-shaped tread profile ensures maximum contact patch on the road, maximizing safety. The tread - designed for the multidirectional movement of the vehicle - adopts the same characteristic honeycomb pattern of the inside of the tire.


auto123.com :

Revolutionary technology
Recently, Hankook tyres launched a brand new futuristic, even revolutionary tyre; the iFlex. These new wheels, which are made from synthetic polyurethane, are 95% recyclable. The sound comfort is said to be increased compared to a regular tyre and even the fuel consumption is said to be significantly reduced. In addition to being puncture resistant, the "airless", which is inspired by the tracks used on tanks and snowmobiles, has several advantages. 

Incomparable advantages 
Lighter than a regular tyre, the iFlex offers maximum shock absorption thanks to the notches in its structure. With no rims, this tyre is made up of a single component, maximising your safety. Such a tyre would be able to adapt to changes in the car and different types of road surfaces. In fact, when speed increases, the central band of the tyre sags, leaving a larger contact area with the ground, which favours grip. On the contrary, at low speeds, the central band retracts, limiting the surface of contact with the ground to the edges of the tyre, with the aim of reducing fuel consumption. This new technology is therefore simpler, more economical and environmentally friendly. For the time being, no date has been given by Hankook Tyres for the launch. 



ASSOCIATED TALENTS

Nature as a partner in transforming the world

We are a very small company with two partners and consultants. We offer skills assessments and training to support business leaders and their teams. One particular training course connects entrepreneurs with Nature in the broadest sense of the term. Our teachers are horses, wolves, trees, plants etc.


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Contact:

Sophie Marty Elissagaray

smarty@talents-associes.com

MYCOPHYTO

MYCOPHYTO, a Deep Tech start-up, is inventing tomorrow's agriculture with its mycorrhizal fungi, natural plant biostimulants


MYCOPHYTO was co-founded in 2017 by Justine LIPUMA, a doctor in microbiology, and Christine PONCET, an agricultural engineer. Spin off INRAE (INRA) and UCA (Université Côte d'Azur), it has received more than 12 awards since its creation.

MYCOPHYTO is to develop, produce and propose to agricultural professionals effective biological solutions by adapting scientific knowledge concerning mycorrhizal symbiosis.


A look back at the intervention of Mathilde Clément, R&D Manager, on the Biomim'expo stage in Marseille during the IUCN World Conservation Congress:


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Contact:

Jean-Nicolas Detourbet

jeannicolas.detourbet@mycophyto.fr

SIGNS

SIGNS laboratories: innovative solutions for animal welfare

Products that improve the living conditions and emotional state of production animals, laboratory animals, zoo animals and even humans.

SIGNS (Semiochemicals for Innovation Gathering Novelty and Sustainability), created in 2018, is the patent valorisation agency of Group-IRSEA, a world leader in semiochemical research. The two entities have developed a range of products based on synthetic pheromones copying nature, thus reproducing the beneficial effects for the animal.

Created in 1995, the IRSEA research institute isolated and reproduced the first pheromone in cats (Feliway), thus opening up new ways of understanding and communicating between and within species. Since then, numerous applications have been developed, notably in dogs (Adaptil) and horses (ConfidenceEQ / Equanimity) as well as in livestock (pigs, poultry, rabbits, sheep, goats, cattle, etc.).

The SIGNS laboratories are responsible for the development and marketing of products resulting from IRSEA research

IRSEA holds more than 300 patents and SIGNS Laboratories are in charge of developing and marketing the products resulting from this research. Today, SIGNS Laboratories market these pheromones and bring you natural and environmentally friendly products that meet the criteria of well-being and productivity.


Back to Alessandro Cozzi's intervention on the Biomim'expo stage in Marseille during the IUCN World Conservation Congress:


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Contact:

Manon FELICIAN

Head of the Communication Department Group-IRSEA

(+33) 4 90 75 06 12

m.felician@group-irsea.com

ECOCEAN

Marine restoration solutions

ECOCEAN, INNOVATION FOR AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY

Ecocean is a pioneering French company that acts and innovates in favour of aquatic biodiversity. Riparian and coastal areas are increasingly affected by human activities and many young fish in shallow areas are faced with a lack of natural habitats. In the life cycle of coastal marine fish, post-larvae (newborns) return to the shoreline and look for a suitable habitat for their development (nursery). However, this habitat is often degraded by human constructions: it is therefore necessary to act!

The origin: in 2003, ECOCEAN developed a unique know-how, that of the collection and breeding of post-larvae (PCC) for the sustainable development of marine resources and the conservation of the biodiversity of marine ecosystems. Ecocean has become the world leader in the PCC technique and has been granted Young Innovative Company status since its creation. It is also supported by the BPI. Our various experiences in the marine environment have enabled us to develop various exclusive applications in post-larvae capture and rearing techniques. Today, these applications are based on 4 areas of expertise: sustainable breeding, ecological restoration, the sale of fishing and breeding gear, and diagnosis.


LE MONITEUR / SEPT 2021

Ecocean keeps a tight rein on marine biodiversity


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Contact:

Sabrina PALMIERI sabrina.palmieri@ecocean.fr

NAT'H

Nat'H is a very young company that was born in December 2019. It was born from a chance meeting between a concrete engineer and the swifts of Toulon.

Why was Nat'H born?

Swifts, like many birds and other animal species, are in steep decline. This alarming disappearance, partly due to the continuous advance of the urban environment in our landscape, very often results in the loss of their habitats.

Faced with this alarming situation, I decided, as a professional in the construction industry, to focus on actions in favour of biodiversity in urban development, by creating the company Nat'H.

By taking into account the growing urban pressure and its impacts, in particular the loss of nesting cavities, Nat'H provides solutions to compensate for the destruction of natural habitats, by proposing shelters and nesting boxes made of wood concrete, to be integrated or not into the building, in order to develop nature in the city and to reclaim threatened biodiversity.

The company's advantages :

Nat'H is committed to working in collaboration with local planners, architects, landscape architects, building professionals and private individuals to find innovative solutions that integrate nature into the city so that building sites can finally be synonymous with biodiversity.

Biomim'selfie ...
Olivier Winock at the Biomim'expo digital week 2020

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Olivier Winock, CEO, NAT'H Nature-Harmonie Company, contact@nat-h.com

BIOINSPIR

Creator of biosourced 100% molecules of interest for the cosmetics and fine chemicals sectors

After 15 years of research in ecological chemistry within the ChimEco laboratory, Prof. Claude Grison joined forces with Technofounders to create BioInspir in 2020, with the aim of commercialising the production of biosourced and natural molecules for the cosmetics and fine chemicals sectors.

BioInspir selects certain plant species capable of biosorbing metals contained in natural or industrial effluents. The use of these plants makes it possible to create filters to capture the metals, and from these, to design ecocatalysts used for the soft synthesis of high added value products.

Today, the company has a library of molecules that evolves day by day. New molecules are developed every week, either on a contract basis for clients or on molecules with a high stake for numerous companies.

After securing nearly €1 million in funding in September 2020, BioInspir is developing its molecule library and preparing to scale up to kilo-lab size.


Press release:

BIOINSPIR accelerates its growth and secures nearly €1 million in financingMontpellier, 9 September 2020 - The result of 15 years of research by Claude Grison and the ChimEco laboratory, Bioinspir synthesises molecules for fine chemistry from its unique ecocatalysis platform. Only a few months after its creation, the deeptech start-up has secured nearly €1 million in funding to support its first commercial phase. In recent weeks, the start-up has completed a financing round with TechnoFounders Participations, was a winner of the i-Nov innovation competition and was awarded the French Tech Emergence grant. All announcements and information from the press release here


LES ECHOS / SEPT 2020 / Bioinspir invents a plant filter to clean up contaminated water

A spin-off from the ChimEco laboratory at the University of Montpellier, the start-up Bioinspir has developed a plant-based filter to capture metals in polluted water. Designed from invasive aquatic plants, it can then be reused for other applications. Discussions are underway with chemical companies. Suite.

Ecocatalysis, an ecological revolution and green economy ? Claude Grison | TEDxParisSalon
Claude Grison explains Bioinspir at the Biomim'expo digital week 2020

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Contact:

contact@bioinspir.com

ELWAVE

ELECTROMAGNETIC DETECTION AND NAVIGATION

ELWAVE DESIGNS, MANUFACTURES AND SELLS ELECTROMAGNETIC DETECTION, NAVIGATION AND CHARACTERISATION SYSTEMS BASED ON INNOVATIVE "ELECTRIC SENSE" TECHNOLOGY.

ELWAVE

For subscribers only

ELWAVE, electrical sensory detection

ELECTROMAGNETIC DETECTION AND NAVIGATION

ELWAVE DESIGNS, MANUFACTURES AND SELLS ELECTROMAGNETIC DETECTION, NAVIGATION AND CHARACTERISATION SYSTEMS BASED ON INNOVATIVE "ELECTRIC SENSE" TECHNOLOGY.
Simple to use, robust and adaptable for all types of vehicles and robots, ELWAVE solutions provide real-time 360° perception capability in complex underwater and industrial environments.
ELWAVE provides solutions adapted for different environments and operational constraints (congestion, depth at which used, etc.).

Bio-inspired ?

ELWAVE develops solutions based on electrical sensory perception, known as "electric sense", developed since 2007 by the biorobotics research group in Mines-Telecom Atlantique Institute.

ELWAVE technology takes its inspiration from the sensory mode used by tropical freshwater fish (African mormyrids and South American gymnotiforms), which have developed electrical sensory perception in order to move around, capture their prey and communicate with each other in an environment where vision and sonar (acoustic communication - echolocation) are inefficient.

Electrical sensory perception is based on sensing disturbances produced by the environment in an electric field generated by fish: these fish emit a 360° electric field around themselves which is disturbed by obstacles in their habitat, by other fish and by predators. The electro-receptor cells in their skin detect, measure and record these disturbances to create a three-dimensional image of their surroundings at any given moment.


Releases :

INSTITUT CARNOT - MINES / ELWAVE equips robots with a 6th sense with its "electric sense" technology


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Contact:

  • ELWAVE
    ITM Atlantic Business Centre
    2 rue Alfred Kastler, CS40617
    44300 NANTES Cedex 3
  • contact@elwave.fr
  • tel-icon+33 (0)2 51 85 87 71