AI and robotics champions in the region

Vitiover, the robot of the vineyards

Or how can we no longer worry about maintaining it with its agricultural and industrial soils."It is an innovation of rupture in a world where we run after time," warns Arnaud de la Fouchardière.At the head of Vitiover, his company based in Saint-Émilion (33) ensures precise control of the vegetation, cut and collection, thanks to a herd (a fleet) of robots of 20 kilos piloted remotely by shepherds (technicians)).

Depending on the season, the culture and demand of each client, the grass is cut up to the desired height.Goodbye the big devices that trample the soil but also the chemical weedkillers, such as glyphosate, place in the economy and ecology via solar energy.

"The customer pays a service, namely an annual cost at the hectare.He does not invest neither in the equipment nor his maintenance, "specifies Arnaud de la Fouchardière.After France, like Roissy airport, he is delighted with the opening of the market to Europe, via contracts with NDSA, EDF Spain, for a photovoltaic farm, and with Elia, network managerBelgian electricity transport.

It took ten years for the Vitiover brand to register naturally into the landscape.The next step concerns the manufacturing that will accelerate, namely between 30 and 50 robots per month, via the sharing of a space with ESI Group (software) and LGM Group (Management and Engineering) on the Talence campus, seatof ENSAM (National School of Arts and Crafts), in the first quarter of 2022.

Vitiover

Siège : Saint-Émilion (33)Dirigeant : Arnaud de la FouchardièreCréation : 2011Chiffre d’affaires : 500 000 euros en 2021Salariés : 14

Proditec, the eye on quality

Despite a 2020 turnover affected by 60 %, due to the COVID, Proditec showed its financial base, retained its teams and took the opportunity to refine its latest high precision device, helped by the New Aquitaine technological center of theDigital (Cata).Launched on the market at the end of 2021, this tool allows the visual inspection and the quality control of 200 objects per second with a precision established at 100 microns.

In 1987, when it was created, the first works of Proditec concerned the control of the currency of Paris struck in Pessac, city headquarters of the company of the Riboulet family.Then, the company quickly became the world leader with the introduction of the euro.In 2005, Christophe Riboulet bought Proditec.It opens a second sector of activity: the pharmacy (quality and aesthetic controls of drugs: tablets, capsules).He must face planetary competition, "this is our playground", mainly Asian (Japan and Korea) and American, continents where he opens positions, especially in Singapore, "in order to be close to our customers and reactive."Customers spread in 40 countries and a turnover generated at 95 % export.

Performance, competition, innovation, skill, robotics, automation 4.0, digital, increased products ... These terms nourish the words of Christophe Riboulet.He admits having to "anticipate and adapt to demand.This requires flexibility ”, and goes beyond artificial intelligence.

Proditec

Siège : Pessac (33)Dirigeant : Christophe RibouletCréation : 1987Chiffre d’affaires : près de 7 millions d’euros en 2019Salariés : une cinquantaine

Shark Robotics in action

Their robots are on all fronts.At the heart of the brazer of Notre-Dame de Paris, in the spaces to be decontaminated during the Pandemic of COVID-19 and on theaters of operations with the military of the army of the earth.Extreme environments are the specialty of Shark Robotics, installed in La Rochelle since 2016.

"At the beginning, we only did robotics, we subcontracted the artificial intelligence part.For a year and a half we have developed the service internally.Everything is done here in La Rochelle de l'Esing, on editing to the after -sales service, "explains Manon Vermenouze, director of communication.

Since then, innovation has not stopped.The team develops on average, each year, four new tailor-made robots for the specific needs of their customers. Le dernier en date s’appelle Salam & R.Total will use it to recover seismic sensors arranged in the desert.With a weight of 1.2 tonnes and 12 wheels, the machine moves without difficulty in this hostile environment.

Rochelais robots with the names of Colossus, Rhynoprotect or Barakuda all include artificial intelligence, but they cannot work without man."We limit AI, we want to always keep the man in decision -making.The environments of our customers are complex, we would not want a total AI autonomy ".130 robots created later, the next ambition is to send them to space.

Shark Robotics

Siège : La RochelleDirigeant : Cyril KabbaraCréation : 2016Chiffres d’affaires : 5 millions d’euros en 2021Salariés : 40

Activity anticipates business needs

When Sabrina Derradji recounts the opening of the Bordeaux agency in Activity, at the end.As the spirit of Activity wants with regard to its customers, we had to learn to anticipate.At the end of 2021, the manager in New Aquitaine relies on a dozen employees.Since June, the agency has been ensuring the vice-president of the Domaine Data Science Domaler of Digital Aquitaine, a stand where it will officiate during the Naia forum, and where the Big Brain software will be presented.

Born in Toulouse, the company supplies its knowledge in mainland France, via entities in Île-de-France, Lyon, Lille, Nantes and Aix, and partnerships in Germany Czech Republic and Switzerland.Coming from digital and services, the founders, Pascal Diogo and Laurent Fraimont have created Activity around five professions related to software: research and development, services (cybersecurity), training and a 100 % certifying institute, recruitment and infrastructure consulting firm(server, materials, supports).

Activity

Siège : BordeauxDirigeant : Pascal DiogoCréation : 2015Chiffre d’affaires : 6 millions d’euros en 2020Salariés : une centaine

Widiii, Bordeaux vocal assistant

He reserves the restaurant, can order the races or make an appointment with the doctor.The Widiii company has developed the Waouh voice assistant, to be a "high -end concierge".

If it is accessible on smartphone, like "Siri" on the iPhone, it goes a little further."These assistants redirect to other applications, they do not finalize the tasks, while our product responds to A to Z requests," said Céline Pluijm, chief of operation.

This thanks to a hybrid technology.Artificial intelligence stops where humans must take the hand;For example, to set a medical appointment on the phone.About fifteen employees carry out these tasks every day for users.

Another team develops AI permanently.The latter needs data and therefore a large number of users to improve the service.

WIIDII sells this product to companies which then offer it to their customers or their employees to improve the quality of life at work.The service is also offered to people with disabilities, to facilitate their daily lives.

With already offices in Lille and Sofia in Bulgaria, the Bordeaux company is preparing its next fundraising and a European -scale collaboration with Mastercard.

Widiii

Siège : BordeauxDirigeant : Cédric DumasCréation : 2014Chiffres d’affaires : non communiquéSalariés : 54

Thinkdeep tracks down defects

The young start-up designs software to control quality, especially aeronautical parts

Since its first invention, augmented reality glasses, Thinkdeep has moved the cursor to best respond to industrial quality control.Rather than a helmet, that each operator must carry to see the products on the products, the team of ten engineers designs software.

"We have developed a system that learns to detect faults thanks to cameras, scanners or X -rays," explains Vincent Van Steenbergen, one of the co -founders.Their customers are aeronautical, space and defense manufacturers.

"We have big skills on artificial intelligence in the company, in particular one of the co -founders who is a researcher in mathematics".Thinkdeep plans at least five hires in 2022 to support its development.

"Today our Deepflow product meets the needs of manufacturers for quality control.Cameras can work systematically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.»»

Thinkdeep

Siège : Talence (33)Dirigeants : Vincent van Steenbergen, Martial Papillon et Christophe Le GalCréation : 2019Chiffres d’affaires : 500 000 euros en 2021Salariés : 10