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Symétrie: the French SME making waves with its hexapods
From simulating the motion of a ship to positioning space instruments, French company Symétrie has gained recognition as a specialist in hexapods. These mechanical platforms can position and orient equipment with exceptional precision.
MISTRAL hexapod in the SINTEF test basin in Norway
© Symétrie
In a workshop in Bouillargues, near Nîmes in southern France, mechanical platforms are taking shape. Designed to simulate a ship’s motion, position a space instrument or test an optical system, they all have one thing in common: six actuators controlled with exceptional precision. Known as hexapods, these machines are Symétrie’s speciality.
Founded in 2001 by Olivier Lapierre and Thierry Roux, two former engineers at the French National Laboratory for Metrology and Testing (LNE), Symétrie specialises in positioning and motion simulation systems. The company designs, manufactures and integrates equipment for the space, defence, research, aerospace, medical and, of course, naval sectors.
These actuators allow the platform to move along three axes (forwards and backwards, left and right, and up and down), while also rotating around three axes: roll, pitch and yaw.
“When installed on a naval vessel, a hexapod can keep onboard sensors stable despite the ship’s motion, improving surveillance, target tracking and intelligence-gathering capabilities,” explains Symétrie.
A highly rigid robotic architecture
Unlike a conventional articulated industrial robot, which typically moves using a series of arms, a hexapod distributes forces across multiple actuators. This configuration gives it a high degree of rigidity while allowing complex, synchronised movements.
Depending on their configuration, Symétrie’s systems can position equipment with micrometre or even sub-micrometre precision, or reproduce rapid, dynamic movements. The company can produce systems ranging from positioners capable of moving just a few grams to platforms that can support several tonnes. This versatility is one of Symétrie’s key strengths. The same mechanical principle can be adapted to position telescope mirrors, scientific instruments and onboard sensors, or to simulate the motion of a ship.
Practical applications in defence
Defence is one sector in which this technology has found particularly high-profile applications. In 2017, Symétrie contributed to the development of the SIMDAV visual ship defence simulator, delivered by Naval Group to the French Navy in Brest. The hexapod incorporated into the system reproduces ship motion, placing operators in conditions similar to those they would experience at sea.
These platforms can also be used to test sensors, optronic systems, cameras, targeting systems and stabilised equipment. By precisely controlling the movement applied to a system, manufacturers can assess its performance, identify its limitations and validate its behaviour before deployment.
The technology can also help in qualifying onboard systems. Sensors designed for use on ships, vehicles or aircraft can be subjected to simulated trajectories and disturbances in a laboratory. This reduces the need for testing in real conditions, which is often costly and difficult to organise.
From simulating ship motion to positioning mirrors
In the space and scientific sectors, hexapods are used to position mirrors, instruments and optical assemblies with exceptional precision.
Symétrie also supplies equipment for major scientific research instruments, particularly synchrotrons. For the FAME-UHD instrument at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), it supplied a system capable of positioning a load of approximately 1.2 tonnes with a stated precision of 0.1 micrometres across multiple axes.
The ability to combine high load capacity, rigidity and precision makes this technology particularly valuable in demanding scientific environments. In the space sector, even the slightest positioning error can affect the quality of a measurement or compromise the use of an instrument.
An SME with an international outlook
Behind this highly specialised equipment, Symétrie is a relatively small company in the French industrial landscape. It employs around 55 people and already generates most of its business from exports. After moving into a new head office in Bouillargues, the company now aims to accelerate its international expansion.
Symétrie combines engineering, manufacturing and integration expertise. By managing every stage of the process, the company can meet complex technical specifications and develop bespoke systems for applications that standard solutions cannot support.
Symétrie also strengthened its shareholder base in 2025 when it welcomed Capital Export as an investor. After announcing €12 million in revenue for 2025, the company aims to double that figure over the coming years.
- Pascal Samama
