Imagine walking around Paris on a beautiful spring day. Strolling down the Champs-Élysées, you notice some trees with satellite-looking discs growing amid their branches and leaves. As you keep walking, you’re struck by the sight of beautiful greenery covering the Arc de Triomphe, the iconic monument built to honor those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Too much wine at lunch, maybe?
As part of our newly launched The Only Progress is Human: Sustainable Energy Act, we are using augmented reality to showcase new innovations that are reshaping the way we generate and utilize energy.
As global energy demands continue to rise, we must change how we produce and consume energy to help ensure a cleaner, more sustainable future and develop renewable energy solutions inspired by nature and life itself. The key goal of the act is to raise awareness about the importance of incorporating sustainability into our daily lives and business practices. By showcasing virtual experience in a fun way, we hope to inspire individuals and organizations to adopt more environmentally friendly approaches.
At the heart of all the sustainable energy innovations featured in the Sustainable Energy Act is Dassault Systèmes’ virtual twin technology, enabling innovators to simulate and optimize designs in virtual environments before implementation by reducing waste, improving efficiency, and enhancing collaboration.
“The ‘Energy Experience’ demonstrates how virtual twins enable clean energy innovators to drive human progress with solutions that benefit all. This isn’t just about an experience; this is about virtual worlds for real life.”
— Victoire de Margerie, vice president, corporate equity, marketing & communications, Dassault Systèmes
Let’s travel around Paris, enjoy the AR experiences, and then read below for more details about some of the new innovations transforming the way we consume energy.
Let’s take a look at some more examples of the newest, sustainable energy alternatives that are now becoming a reality. These alternatives will change how we grow food, how we travel in urban settings and how we produce green energy from nature-based, viable alternatives to traditional carbon-based fuel sources.
Better ways to produce and deliver food
Did you know that by 2050, the world’s population will increase to 9.7 billion people? This, along with climate change, places enormous stress on our planet. Rethinking how we produce and deliver food means finding more efficient and sustainable solutions. Vertical farming can be a viable way to optimize urban space to increase food production.
Futura Gaïa is a 3DEXPERIENCE Lab member that designs, creates and sells turnkey local vertical farms. These farms provide efficient, sustainable solutions that fill an urgent need amid the growing challenges of producing more food locally.
Agreenculture is developing smart robots for smart, sustainable farming practices. Because farming equipment is expensive for farmers, who must also juggle different ecological conditions for each crop, these robots are designed on an adaptable platform that works for many tasks such as soil prep, seeding and weeding, and reduces the need for additional specialized tools that perform only one task.
NetZero is another disruptive innovator from the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab that turns crop residues into biochar, a form of charcoal that can be used as a soil enhancer. Netzero turns agricultural waste into a carbon-rich soil that boosts sustainable agriculture in certain tropical regions. This technology enables sustainable farming and power, and can even help deliver electricity to rural locations.
Reduce energy consumption and enhance mobility
Carbon emissions from autos and buses are a major driver of climate change, leading to serious environmental and health impacts. These emissions contribute to global warming from greenhouse gases, increased air pollution and many associated health problems. Implementing new green energy alternatives is key to improving the quality of life for many urban populations.
Urbanloop is a low-energy, autonomous pod that runs on a track throughout a specific, very densely populated city location. It is designed to transform short-distance travel in urban areas. Originally developed by students in France with support from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, it combines efficiency, affordability and sustainability—and even holds a world speed record!
Another 3DEXPERIENCE Lab partner, Midipile, develops simple, repairable and inexpensive vehicles in France that offer a new type of vehicle and ownership model. This compact electric micro-utility vehicle combines the benefits of cargo bikes and delivery vans, targeted toward independent entrepreneurs who may need but can’t afford two vehicles. When combined with the establishment of Low Emission Areas in Europe, the company’s efforts promise to bring meaningful change. Designed for city dwellers navigating urban spaces, this eco-friendly mode of transportation provides an energy-efficient alternative to traditional cars and vans that reduces urban congestion and pollution.
Replace high-impact building materials
China’s Central-South Architectural Design Institute (CSADI) embraced smart, sustainable construction on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to create a construction virtual twin of the Wuhan Next Generation Meteorological Radar tower ahead of construction. Inspired by cyclones, CSADI used Dassault Systèmes’ virtual twin technology and generative AI to reduce design errors by 60% and optimize energy performance throughout the design stages. The successful CSADI project has created a new model for the future of smart construction.
Strong By Form’s woodflow technology enhances wood’s natural properties to create ultra-lightweight, highly durable structures, minimizing the need for resource-heavy materials. By using 70% less wood and generating minimal waste, this innovative approach is reshaping construction and automotive design with green initiatives.
Expand the use of natural energy sources
Instead of relying on fossil fuels, companies that focus on green energy sources, including solar, wind and marine sources, will be the innovators who deliver the changes our world requires for a sustainable, healthier planet.
Solar Trees are innovative, tree-shaped structures equipped with solar panels that produce clean electricity. Designed by students in France and India along with support from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, students combined beauty and function to power urban services, including phone and e-scooter charging, while promoting sustainable energy use in cities.
Marine energies are emerging as a credible means of generating electricity from non-carbon sources. Inspired by the movement of fish, 3DEXPERIENCE Lab Eel Energy’s innovative tidal turbine transforms marine currents into electricity using a biomimetic, sustainable design. Unlike traditional systems, it operates without disturbing aquatic habitats, making it a renewable solution aligned with marine preservation efforts.
Anyone in Paris during the month of April was able to download our Energy Experience app and see all nine different augmented reality scenarios in which iconic locations throughout the city are transformed using solutions from the open innovation 3DEXPERIENCE Lab, La Fondation Dassault Systèmes and our customers.
The app allows users to explore renewable energy sources and learn more about the potential of sustainable energy with interactive 3D simulations. App users can also access information on the impact of these technologies on the environment and how they contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
Bringing energy and nature together In Virtual Worlds for Real Life
The innovations featured in the Energy Act reflect Dassault Systèmes’ belief that when humans collaborate with nature and technology, we can create solutions that not only satisfy energy demands but also protect and preserve the planet’s ecosystems.
Enjoy highlights of the Energy Act in the video
Maryann is a Senior Communications Manager on the Dassault Systèmes corporate communications team. She’s been with the company for over 16 years, in roles ranging from marketing communications,internal communications, creative and branding, blogging to marketing programs manager.