Summer School
SUMMER SCHOOL PARIS, FRANCE- JUNE 2007 - CANCELLED (due to the lack of interest)
25-30 June 2007, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC)
SPORTS ENGINEERING UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - June 2005
The ISEA international summer school of sports engineering brought together
students, researchers and sports engineers from Europe, Australia, Canada and
USA at the Monash University Centre in Prato from 1-7 June 2005. The presentations,
workshops and forum discussions were conducted in the 18th century palace, Palazzo
Vaj, in the historic centre of this ancient Tuscan city.
The participants of the summer school were actively involved in exploring the
sports engineering principles and applications such as sports materials, sports
dynamics, sports aerodynamics, sports equipment, design and innovation. They
have also been put to the test to design new innovative tennis racquets and
other sports equipment within teams facilitated by HEAD and DECATHLON sports
engineers. The beautiful Palazzo Vaj, wonderful Tuscan weather (and red wine)
inspired our teams to push the boundaries of creativity in conceptualising new
sports engineering innovations for the future. After the daily program discussions
often extended into the night at one of many Prato's piazas or at the famous
Kings Pub (the unofficial headquarters of the sports engineering enthusiasts).
At the awards banquet we have also collectively explored the definition of sports
engineering; an exercise that has questioned many traditional views in this
regard and that has yielded a new perspective of this field.
The entire group also visited Lamborghini and Ducati manufacturing plants and
museums in the suburbs of Bologna. The visits provided more insight into the
motorsports industry. It was especially exciting for everyone to experience
how the famous yellow Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster (recently featured on-screen
in the movie Batman Begins) is designed, manufactured and driven with passion.
As the ISEA summer school ended, we have all left Prato knowing that we have
made new friends and colleagues who share the same passion for sports engineering.
Most of all, we left with an intention to meet again at the 2006 ISEA Summer
School.

