Duclos Named Duke Incubation Fund Award Winner

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke fencing assistant coach Christophe Duclos was named a 2021 Duke Incubation Fund spring award winner. Seven projects representing early-stage innovations on campus have been given Incubation Fund awards totaling more than $249,000.

Established in 2017, the Incubation Fund supports innovation in all schools and departments at Duke with the potential to go to market. While many resources at Duke exist to support research and commercialization, the Incubation Fund — made possible by a gift from I&E advisory board member Jeffrey Citron and his wife, Suzanne — stands out for the support it lends innovations at the earliest stages.

Duclos and Pierre-Olivier Bontems (Global Fencing Masters) teamed up to create a virtual environment for fencing training and education programs.

Building upon Duclos' pioneering training and education program for the fencing community, this project will use 3D motion capture to develop proprietary extended reality (XR) fencing software to improve learning and teaching experiences and to optimize skills acquisition. This tool will be used by fencers and others eager to learn more about the sport, and eventually also by fencing coaches, leading to continuing education and official certification with the US Fencing Association.

"We are proud to have stewarded this award to help lower barriers to translation and widen the funnel of Duke faculty and staff participating in early-stage technology transfer," said Sharlini Sankaran, Director of Translational Programs at I&E. "We are excited to see how the Fund evolves as part of Duke's broader strategy to fuel translation and commercialization."

For more information on Duke fencing, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeFEN".

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Duclos Named Duke Incubation Fund Award Winner

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