Embedded Systems
DESIGNING AND PROGRAMING COMPLEX DIGITAL SYSTEMS
Embedded systems are central to complex system interactions: detecting, deciding and taking action are the main tasks of an embedded system.
Their design requires general knowledge of electronic and computer system modeling. ENSTA Bretagne has a long tradition of courses in these fields (sensor chains, control systems, electronic engineering and software engineering) and has been involved for several years in the development of autonomous robotics, Artificial Intelligence and cyber security: all disciplines involved in the development of embedded systems, as a strategic and rapidly changing engineering field.
Ubiquitous systems
Embedded systems are used across various industrial sectors and are found in:
- aeronautics and space,
- naval,
- mobility and transport (automotive, rail and public transport management and control),
- telecommunications,
- energy,
- agriculture,
- sustainable development.
Continuous developments
The performance of embedded systems is increasing with the appearance of new computer languages and new programming methods, and the development of new electronic components, to provide ever more services and data with a continuous concern for reliability, safety and adaptability.
ENSTA Bretagne's research teams (Lab-STICC laboratory) are involved in these major scientific and technological advances.
ENSTA Bretagne is a central part of many high tech digital networks. It is a member of expert networks such as IRT Bcom (a research and technology institute for digital innovation), the cyber excellence cluster (a reference cluster for France based in Brittany), CominLabs (a laboratory of excellence in information and communication sciences), the Groupement Bretagne Télédétection (a scientific consortium for space technologies and applications) and the competitiveness clusters for the maritime sector (the Brittany Atlantic Sea cluster), the automotive industry (ID4CAR), Images and networks, the industry of the future (EMC2), the aerospace sector (Aerospace valley) and many scientific and technological networks for the defense sector.
Defense, a field of excellence and a lever for innovation
The design of weapons systems and that of electronic warfare systems are also a long-established areas of excellence for the school, which is supervised by the French defense procurement agency, Direction Générale de l’Armement, i.e. the department that decides on the systems to be developed for the armed forces of tomorrow.
ENSTA Bretagne is the reference school for training engineers (civil and military) for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, for many companies in the field and for the French defense innovation agency (AID). These organizations are the largest investors in France in new technologies and are involved in the innovation dynamics of many companies.
THE PROGRAM
CO-OPERATIVE ENGINEERING PROGRAM, EMBEDDED SYSTEMS MAJOR
- Learn more about the "Embedded Systems" major
- Admission:
- International students wishing to apply to this program must provide documentation proving that they have completed one year of full-time higher education in France.
PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH
THE LAB-STICC LABORATORY: FROM SENSORS TO KNOWLEDGE
Cette unité mixte de recherche du CNRS organise son action autour de 9 pôles de recherche, regroupant 25 équipes multi-tutelles.
Son large spectre scientifique porte sur la thématique des sciences du numérique et intègre un large spectre de compétences : Théorie de l’Information, Ondes & Matériaux, Electronique et Informatique embarquées, Sciences des données, Communication et détection de signaux, Interfaces Homme-Machines, etc.
Laboratoires communs & recherche partenariale
L'ENSTA Bretagne mène des activités de recherche en lien étroits avec l'industrie pour accompagner leur développement. Par exemple :
- Le laboratoire commun SENI avec Naval Group porte sur les systèmes embarqués intelligents
- Le Groupement d'Interêt Scientifique Cormorant créé avec Thales porte sur les domaines des capteurs et traitements intelligents, es systèmes d'acquisition d'informations et des processus de dévision
contact
Benoît Clément
Professor
IST Department Deputy Head, ENSTA Bretagne
+33 (0)2 98 34 89 82
contact
Admissions Coordinator (French students)
Adelaïde Gaudron
+33 (0)2 98 34 87 01
Projet RIIME
The international research project RIIME on engineering education in the Maghreb (North Africa) in light of the environmental challenges (Hubert Curien Partnership/PHC Maghreb) brought together French, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian researchers between 2018 and 2021.
A project organized around 3 objectives:
1/ Research how engineering education in the Maghreb is changing in light of the environmental challenges, for a clearer grasp of these changes. The aim was therefore to identify and analyze the dynamics in motion.
2/ Act by outlining ways forward for improving education. A guide of recommendations and good practices has been jointly produced between French and North African researchers. It includes lesson plans tailored to the Maghreb’s specific context, which can be used to prepare classes by bearing the social situation in mind. There are also tools at the scale of a school through cross-cutting, collaborative and interdisciplinary courses aimed at enabling students to analyze and take up the environmental and societal challenges of a particular region.
For example, how to come up with economically viable recycling solutions with positive material and social benefits for the population of a large North African city. Or how to improve the living conditions of Saharan communities through straightforward, accessible, lightweight and eco-friendly technologies.
3/ Educate young researchers. hanks to the project, 7 theses have been jointly supervised by French and North African researchers.
Coming out in September 2022: Former des ingénieurs face aux enjeux environnementaux au Maghreb, published by Champ social (book + practical guide)
Photo: The RIIME project is presented to Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, during his visit to ENSTA Bretagne in October 2021.
contact
Linda Gardelle
Associate professor
Research Unit Training & Professional Learning
+33 (0)2 98 34 89 05
MATRIX team
The MATRIX team (Models and AlgoriThms for pRocessIng and eXtracting information) develops new methods to learn, model and understand temporally and spatially structured information (signals, images, time series). Its members are located at IMT Atlantique and ENSTA Bretagne.
The MATRIX team studies the formulation of the problem and its solution, by looking at different layers:
- Modeling
- Optimization tools and methods
- Problem-solving and study criteria
Expertise
- Signal and image processing
- Machine learning
- Automation and dynamic systems
- Optimization
- Statistical methods
- Reinforcement learning
- Underwater acoustics
Examples of topics studied
- Monitoring of the underwater environment (seabed, water column fluctuations)
- Optimization methods and reinforcement learning for the biomedical sector
- Robust AUV control with machine learning
- Smart positioning of sensors for radar communications
- Metrology of IT networks and outlier detection
- Mathematical models of resilience
Collaborations
Some examples of partners with which this research is conducted.
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Companies: Naval Group, THALES, ECA Group, iXblue
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Institutions: DGA, SHOM, NATO/CMRE, ONERA, CHU Brest
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Academia: Flinders University, Centrale Nantes, UTT Troyes, University of Bath, Sorbonne Université, Queen Mary University of London, AUCE (Lebanon), Crossing (Australia, CNRS, Flinders University), LATIM (Brest), Université de Strasbourg, Qingdao University, MIT, Syracuse University, Polytechnique Montreal
Examples of MATRIX research projects
Autonomous AUV control with Naval Group and Flinders University
MATRIX is working on the autonomous control of AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) operating in complex, heterogeneous underwater environments.
Gilles Le Chenadec, research professor: "AUVs need long-term autonomy and adaptation capacities, and we are meeting this need by developing methods combining the traditional concepts of automation with concepts based on AI and more particularly on deep reinforcement learning. This approach is aimed at associating the formal evidence of stability and reliability of automation with machine learning capacities. One of the cases of application being studied is that of an AUV operating in currents of variable intensity."
Six people from Naval Group, Flinders University and ENSTA Bretagne are delving into this subject in a number of theses:
- One thesis (Yoann Sola), defended in 2021 and financed by the French Defense, Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA) and the Brittany Region, demonstrated the merits under simulation of this approach compared to conventional approaches, with a reduction in energy consumption.
- A second thesis concerns adapting to marine currents the parameters of control theory learned by machine learning and the transfer of this model learned under simulation to an actual AUV.
- A third thesis is due to begin at the end of 2022, on the subject of AUV internal failure detection and control.
contact
Gilles Le Chenadec
Associate professor
IT Departement
Lab-STICC laboratory/ DMID Departement/ MATRIX Team
Lab-STICC former organization
Since 2021, a new Lab-STICC organization has been implemented. The new poles and teams are described in the pages regarding the STIC Department.
The former teams, in which ENSTA Bretagne was involved, were: