Using digital simulation to optimise everyone’s sport experience

Digital simulations are used across many industries to test innovative solutions before developing product prototypes, and sport is no exception. The Geneva based company DAES, which stands for “Development of Advanced Engineering Solutions” has been working with the watch, mobility, energy and medical sectors for more than ten years and 98 per cent of their solutions rely on simulation. About a year ago the company, which was set up by three engineers striving to help deliver products for the benefit of society, started to work with the sports industry.

“We were already active in the field of human tech, so getting involved in optimising products for sport and physical activity was a natural fit”, explains Sylvie Didelle, the company’s Development Director. She adds: “Our motivation is to democratise sport and mobilise people of all abilities. Our digital simulations help brands to develop attractive, customised products in a sustainable and time-efficient way.”

A good example is DAES’s collaboration with sport equipment manufacturer Salomon. Thomas Gauthey, Digital Transformation Lead at Salomon Footwear, explains:

“We are using DAES’s simulation tools to develop new products. Together, we developed a human modelling of the lower limb and some innovative footwear numerical tests fully correlated to experimental tests and human perception on the field.  We can now experiment with different parameters and composites to optimise features like the grip, the stability, and the cushioning of the shoe. This allows us to customise shoes for different types of human bodies and terrains. It’s a very efficient way of innovating and optimising the performance of our products. It also allows to reduce our carbon footprint, something which is at the heart of our company.”

Using digital simulations for the development of products of any kind reduces the need to build several “physical” prototypes. In the case of the Salomon example, these are shoes. In addition, the digital simulations can be used for internal communications, explaining the specificities and functions of a new product to all employees, as well as for marketing and sales purposes.

Lise Sissler, Sports Performance Simulation Leader at DAES, has worked closely with Salomon in the past year and says:

“At DAES our ambition is to reduce the environmental impact during product development. There is still the misleading notion that sustainable products are not high performing, but that’s untrue and our simulations prove that it’s possible to respect sustainability principles while maintaining performance.”

In their striving to optimise shoes for different types of bodies and terrains, Salomon recently went a step further and decided to support the project of Jérôme Bernard, an athlete with amputations of both legs, and a group of students of IMT Mines d’Albi who developed a carbon fiber running blade. The blade is designed to enable amputees to get back into sports for a fraction of the cost of existing solutions. These sport protheses for people with amputations are not only much more affordable, but also more sustainable than current models available on the market: the blades are made of aviation grade carbon fiber left over from Airbus A350 constructions and normally going to waste.

To support this great initiative, which empowers people with disabilities to dream and excel, Salomon's footwear division provided all their expertise and the power of its ecosystem to develop innovative soles for these prosthetic running blades.

“We developed innovative soles for road running as well as trail running which can be easily plugged onto the blade”, explains Thomas Gauthey. “The development for the trail running sole required some deeper thinking to customise the features as best as possible to the needs of people with a leg amputation. Uneven terrain is very challenging for them, as is running downhill. Thanks to the digital simulation and the ability to parameterise different criteria, we found a smart solution.”

Lise Sissler adds:

“It’s really about using digital simulation to produce something for the good of the people. This is just the beginning. At DAES we have started working on the human modelling of the upper body, to help develop solutions and products for people with back problems. The opportunities provided by digital simulation are amazing – for businesses and customers alike.”

Click here to learn more about DAES.