WEBSITE : http://www.cerma.archi.fr/CERMA/englishintroduction

Created in 1971

Research laboratory of Nantes School of Architecture (Ministry of Culture) and CNRS French National Centre for Scientific Research (Ministry of Research and Education).

Over 40 members : 35 researchers and PhD students who come from various fields (architecture, environnemental engineering, physics, computer science, geography),

Partnership with CRESSON Laboratory in Grenoble inside the joint research CNRS unit n°1563 "Architectural and Urban Ambient Environment"

Research field specialized in ambiances : the environment comfort which results from the user's perception and the interpretation of the physical state of the architectural or urban space

Fundamental research topics :
- Modelling and simulation of natural phenoma such as sun light, solar energy, heat, wind, noise and soundscape,
- Characterisation of the ambiances,
- Design of the ambiances : CAD, actors and doctrines, Applied research : development of softwares for the simulation and the analysis of the natural phenomena and CAD tools.

CERMA and CRESSON lead the International Ambiances Network "Ambiances.net" , which aims at structuring and developing the research field of architectural and urban ambiances, with twenty international team members(Germany, Brazil, Canada, United States, ...).


4 DIVISIONS:

• Robotics, Image, Signal et Automatics (ISA) covers 3 teams : Command, Analysis and Decision in Signal Processing (ADTS), Image et Video Communications (IVC)
• Mechanical and Productive Systems (SMP) covers 2 teams : Robotics and CMAO Productics (CMAOP)
• Production Systems (SdP) composed of 3 teams : Analysis and Command of Discreet Events Systems (ACSED), Logistic and production Systems (SLP) and Real Time Systemsl (STR)
• Electronic Systems, Telecom and Radar (SETRA) covers 2 teams : Telecommunication and Radar and Polarimetry

STAFF
Today, the Institute employs approximately 190 people, of which 89 are researchers and lecturer-researchers, 82 are doctorates and 18 are engineers, technicians or administrative staff.