In 2017, silkke partnered with the Blagnac Rugby Club — both women’s and men’s teams — to explore new ways of promoting high-level sport through immersive technology.The initiative was part of a broader ambition to create visibility around innovation in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, while engaging the public locally in Toulouse, notably during the Futurapolis event organized by Le Point.
Each player was captured inside the capsule to generate their own Origin Digital Human, showcasing a new form of representation for athletes.
A large Crowdwall™ was installed, displaying Digital Humans dancing on a virtual dance floor. Participants and fans could interact in real time using their smartphones — moving their Digital Human across the space and triggering a range of animations and gestures. This created a dynamic and participatory environment, where athletes and visitors shared the same digital stage.
Beyond the public experience, the project also served as an early experimentation ground. One player chose to be scanned in underwear, allowing silkke to conduct initial tests in 3D garment simulation using Marvelous Designer. As early as 2017, silkke was already anticipating future applications around digital clothing and Model Digital Human customization.
An impressive experience. Digital Humans clearly open new perspectives for performance, especially in a context like France 2023 World Cup, says Fabien PELOUS - French International player.
Looking ahead, these Digital Humans open new possibilities for professional and national rugby teams. Coaches could use them to simulate pre-match scenarios, allowing athletes to rehearse plays and combinations in a virtual environment before applying them on the field through mimicry.
By integrating match data — including performance metrics captured through sensors embedded in jerseys — these Digital Humans could also support highly visual and precise post-match analysis. This would enable coaches to review situations in detail, refine strategies, and continuously improve team performance.
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