Course Title: Design of Sports Technology

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Design of Sports Technology

Credit Points: 12.00

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
MIET2003	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2010, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2011

Course Coordinator: Prof Dr Franz Konstantin Fuss

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6123

Course Coordinator Email: franz.fuss@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Room 60, Level 3, Building 251, Bundoora East Campus

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

Sports and Leisure industry is globally as big as the aerospace industry. Design of sports Technology introduces the student to the design of sports equipment including principles of equipment design and optimisation, properties of equipment (solid mechanics, aero- and fluid dynamics), sensor technology, methods of improving sports performance, and practical examples of design innovation. The main focus of the course is targeted at innovation and problem solution, based on systems design, mechanical modelling, design optimisation and equipment testing. The topics covered comprise minimisation of energy losses through equipment; sports shoe design; principles of equipment design; sports surfaces; instrumentation of equipment; sports biomechanics; sport balls (solid mechanics, aerodynamics); racquets, bats and clubs; winter sport and mountaineering equipment; protective equipment; bicycles and wheelchairs; exercise machines; design of sports facilities; and sustainable design.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The primary objective of this course is to develop the understanding of the design of sports equipment from a holistic point of view, and the skills to optimise and test  sports equipment.
This course builds a foundation of capability for the solution, analysis and synthesis of a wide variety of practical engineering problems in a logical and effective manner.

This course will advance the students’ development of the following broad capabilities:
Ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals
Ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with athletes and trainers and with the community at large
In-depth technical competence across engineering disciplines
Ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
Ability to utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance
Ability to function effectively as an individual and in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member
Understanding of and commitment to professional and ethical responsibilities
Expectation and capacity to undertake lifelong learning
Ability to use appropriate techniques and resources
Ability to manage information and documentation
Ability to demonstrate Professional Attitudes

This course will provide you ample opportunities to familiarise yourself with various real-world sports engineering problems. You will learn to design, optimise, analyse and test a wide range of sports equipment. After successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
-Apply knowledge of basic sciences and maths;
-Understand and use the basic principles of equipment mechanics;
-Identify problems and find solutions;
-Apply acquired knowledge to solve new problems;
-Develop new ideas and logical explanation.

Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities for this course include face-to-face lectures, tutorials and laboratory experiments. The basic theoretical background will be explained in the lectures and various real-world sports engineering problems will be discussed and analysed in the lectures and tutorials. The basic principles will also be demonstrated and reinforced through the laboratory experiments.

Overview of Learning Resources

Lecture notes, and literature sources

Overview of Assessment

Assessment will include all of the following items.
• Laboratory work.
• Group project
• Weekly exercises
• Examination
For more details, refer to the part B Course Guide section “Assessment Tasks”