France's rugby and engineering prowess have come together in an unusual combination - a six-legged rugby robot intended to help improve player performance and safety in scrums.

Engineers at aerospace engineering firm Thales SA said on Friday that the "scrum simulator" they have developed in partnership with the French Rugby Federation (FFR) will reduce accidents and serve as a tool for coaching and match preparation.

The robot reconstructs scrums, moving in a three-axis rotation and measuring individual players' weaknesses that can be improved - to make the scrum more steady and stable, Thales said.

Julien Piscione, the head of the FFR's science unit, said in a statement from Thales that the simulator was the first of its kind and marks the first time that neuroscience has been applied to simulator design.

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