NEWSCLIMATOLOGY2004: THE YEAR OFTHE HURRICANEOne after another, hurricanes Charley,Frances, Ivan and Jeanne battered theCaribbean and Florida in late summer2004. According to Risk ManagementSolutions, a California-based companythat specialises in the financial evaluationof catastrophes, damages in Florida maycost over 25 billion dollars.Meteorological assessments areconstantly carried out to avoid risks.Hurricane formation requires twoconditions: a sea temperature above26 °C at a minimum depth of 50 meters(the evaporation creates the initial cloud)and a distance of a least 550 kilometresfrom the equator, so that the earth'smovement deviates the winds that set offthe whirling movement.It should be noted that the tsunami whichtook the lives of 200,000 people in Asiawas caused not by a meteorologicalglitch but by an underwater earthquakethat stirred up a massive amount ofwater.NASATECHNOLOGY TRANSFERFROM BOOM TO VROOMPicture a new kind of automobilesuspension system in which your carstays smoothly on the ground, parallel tothe road while going round bends,absorbing every little bump… and all thiswithout the body of the car moving. Thisconcept has been made reality not by amotor vehicle equipment manufacturerbut by the high-fidelity speaker systemspecialist Bose. Instead of using springsor shock absorbers, the suspension sitson an electromagnetic motor. A sensorrecords each and every one of theGEOLOGYDETECTING GROUND CHANGESWITH A SPECIAL TEXTILEwheel's movements and programs themotor to shift in compensation,implementing one of Bose's flagshipinnovations: the cancellation of abothersome noise by an opposite soundwave. The trickiest part of the newsuspension system was developing avery fast and reactive motor that cansupport the vehicle's weight; it took Bose24 years to accomplish this task. Thenext step is to bring the concept in linewith industry standards and to assess itseconomic viability.A new synthetic textile made with fibre-optics is showing promise for theprevention of surface collapse. Placed, for example, under a railway track,this geotextile cloth provides information on ground changes. A warp in thesurface alters the characteristic wavelength of the light passing through thefibre-optics; an alert mechanism goes off when a threshold is reached.Furthermore, the material is impervious to electromagnetic interference andresistant to corrosion.Bic30 YEARS AGOTHEDISPOSABLERAZORIn 1975, Bic ®launched its newdisposal (a.k.a. “onepiece”)razor. Easy touse and reasonablypriced, it changed theshaving habits ofpeople throughoutthe world. BaronBich's ballpoint pencompany came upwith the simple ideato use just half ablade and tomanufacture a handlewith the moneysaved. Eleven millionof these razors aresold every day.11.80THAT'S HOW MANYSECONDS IT TOOK FOR A38-YEAR-OLD GERMAN TOCOME UP WITH THE 13THROOT OF A 100-DIGITNUMBER. THE PREVIOUSRECORD, HELD BY AFRENCHMAN, WAS 13.55SECONDS.ALTRAN HADRONTHERAPYUSING NUCLEAR ON CANCERTo treat cancerous tumours, radiotherapy and chemotherapy use particlebeams - X-rays and electrons - that attack both infected cells and any healthycells that lie in their path. Hadrontherapy may be the answer to this majorparadox. The brainchild of particle physics researchers, this technology useslight ion beams that only release their energy upon reaching their target.Hadrontherapy accurately tackles deep tumours, which are often resistant toclassic radiotherapy, whilst preserving healthy tissue to the greatest possibleextent. This treatment is especially promising for eye and brain cancer. AltranTechnologies took part in this innovation, in particular by calculating the beams'penetration of the tissue.ALTRAN ALTRAN AWARDSCELEBRATING EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND INNOVATIONThe Altran Awards recognize our top consultants in their respective areas of expertise. The first-placewinners were announced during a ceremony at the Palais du Luxembourg, in France, on February 22:Laurent Staub (Ariane, France) in the Strategy and Management category; Yves Gigase (Altran Europe, Belgium) in PhysicalSciences; Arnaud Meurant (Alplog, France) in Information and Communication Technologies; Marc Moons (Altran Europe, Belgium)in Electronics; Saso Jezernik (Berata AG, Switzerland) in Life Sciences; Christian Tasso (Altran Technologies, France) in Systemsand Process Engineering; Olivier Klotz (Altran Technologies, France) in Project Management; Richard Martin (Altran Corporation,United States) in Transfer of Know-How; Marco Valentini (RSI Sistemi, Italy) in Capacity to Lead; Arnaud Peltier (AltranTechnologies, France) in Innovative Technology; Michiel Jak (Altran Tech Netherlands, Netherlands) in Innovative Offer;Thierry Lelievre (Altran Technologies, France) in Creating Value. All the winners will soon be putting their Excellence Plansinto action. <strong>Altitude</strong> will keep you up to date on their progress.06 <strong>Altitude</strong> n°6 / February 2005 <strong>Altitude</strong> n°6 / February 2005 07
NEWSAltran FoundationDRPHILIPPE STREIFF IS ON THE JURY FOR THE 2005 ALTRAN FOUNDATION AWARD<strong>Altitude</strong>: A few words onhow you got to whereyou are today?Philippe Streiff: I've livedtwo lives, one before beinghandicapped and oneafterward… I started out inmotor sports (karting) in1969, at the age of 14. Ikept moving up incompetitions until 1984,when I took part in my firstFormula 1 Grand Prix. Mycareer came to a crashing halt in 1989, when I becamea quadriplegic in an accident in Rio de Janeiro.Alt.: So you started a new career…P.S.: After the accident, my main wish was to stay inthe automobile milieu. It's my life, my passion. I startedout as an event organiser. Finally, in 1995, my dreamcame true: I drove again.Alt.: In what kind of vehicle?P.S.: A modified stock-car - a Renault Espace without asteering wheel or pedals. I tested it on the circuitmyself. It's the first device developed to help peoplewith severe motor handicaps get their driving licenses.It's been approved by the French TransportationMinister and the Road Safety Department. With it, I'vebeen able to get a lot of my autonomy back.Alt.: And now?P.S.: I'm the technical consultant for the inter-ministrydelegate for handicapped people. I work on improvingA MEMBER OF THE FOUNDATION'S BOARDOF DIRECTORS IS HONOUREDKoïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, granted the 2004Kalinga Prize for the Popularisation of Science to the astrophysicistJean Audouze, Director of Research at CNRS and a member of the AltranFoundation's Board of Directors. Mr. Audouze joins the prestigious list of FrenchKalinga Prize winners: Jean Rostand in 1959, Paul Couderc in 1966,and Yves Coppens in 1984.Questions for a fervent defender of handicapped people, keenon overcoming their social exclusion.passive security and prevention. I'm also interested inthe “post-accident” phase: life after the accident, gettingbetter compensation, etc. I also help handicappedchildren take place in society through sports.Alt.: That idea is at the heart of the 2005 Award.How did you find out about the Foundation?P.S.: I've been involved with the Altran Foundation forseveral years, and Michel Friedlander, who runs it, is afriend of mine. I was on the jury for the 1998 Award, onthe theme “Technological innovation: Pain and physicalhandicaps”.Alt.: This year, too, you're on the jury for a subjectthat's important to you.P.S.: Yes. It's also the theme for the French handicaplaw project. This law would improve the daily lives ofhandicapped people, giving them more technical,financial, and care-related resources, better access topublic spaces and buildings, and creating a countywidehandicap centre to facilitate the administrativeprocess after the accident.Alt.: What kind of selection criteria do you look outfor as a member of the jury?P.S.: I'll focus on my pet topics - cars and helpinghandicapped people - and my colleagues will offeropinions in their own areas of expertise. One thing I'msure of: technological innovations that help people withmotor handicaps have always been useful to nonhandicappedpeople. The infra-red television remotecontrol was invented thirty years ago for paraplegics.It was then used by the elderly, and then bythe general population.DRDRJEAN-LUCDEHAENEis overseeing the 2005 AltranFoundation Award jury. We hada word with this member ofthe European Parliament andformer Belgian Prime Minister.<strong>Altitude</strong>: Why did you agree topreside over the jury for the 2005Altran Foundation Award?Jean-Luc Dehaene: I think it's anoriginal kind of prize. The Foundation'sgreat willingness to work toward theevolution and transformation of oursociety is particularly interesting to me.I have always felt this desire whiledeveloping and implementing policiesin the positions I've held. It seems tome that the Altran Foundation fits inwith the work I've been trying to do foryears, and that's the main reason Iagreed to preside over the jury for the2005 Award.Alt.: Why did the theme of the 2005Award (overcoming social exclusionthrough scientific and technologicalinnovation) grab your attention?J-L. D.: This year's theme has severalfacets, making it a particularly richchoice. One immediately thinks ofovercoming the social exclusion ofhandicapped people through scientificand technological innovation, but thereare other forms of exclusion toovercome that vary from one culture tothe next. I'm curious to see the kind ofprojects we receive. I really hope to besurprised by the unexpected ideas thistheme inspires.DRDRDRWHERE ARE THEY NOW?Flashback on three past winners of the AtranFoundation Award, who all benefited from Altran'stechnological assistance with their product.2000 Award:food safetyIn 2000, the Foundation rewardedDominique Grégoire for Tracilog,an electronic intelligence systemthat, when placed in isothermalcontainers, can detect any break inthe cold chain. Since then,Technigreg, the companyDominique Grégoire created, has obtained a number of relatedpatents and caught the eye of many corporations. Air France, forexample, will be equipping its planes with the device.2001 Award:urban lifeThings are going well for BiobasicEnvironnement, the start-upcompany created in 2000 byJulien Troquet who won the 2001Foundation Award. Its process fordecontaminating soil in situ throughbio-remediation has been wildlysuccessful and is now moving to the international level. BiobasicEnvironnement is currently conducting a pilot decontaminationproject on heavy petroleum products at a Romanian oil refinery. Animportant stride for Julien Troquet, whose company increased itssales ten-fold in 2004.2002 Award:developing countriesGuy Reinaud, president of Pro-Natura, won a Foundation Award fora machine that produces biomasscharcoal. The first device was setup in South Africa in the beginningof 2004. Depending on its success,other machines will be installed inAlgeria, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Chad. Biomass charcoal is acheap fuel made from carbonised agricultural waste. It replaces woodand slows down deforestation in developing countries.08 <strong>Altitude</strong> n°6 / February 2005<strong>Altitude</strong> n°6 / February 2005 09
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