Claude Roulle Seminars - who's been?

[clausen]

Hi there,

I've heard a lot about these seminars, and am very keen to go, but missed out this time around in Australia.

I'm just wondering if any of you people that have been could tell the rest of us about some of the little bits of wisdom and advice that you have taken away from there.

Any other things that stuck in your mind? I have a pretty thorough understanding of geometry and chassis dynamics, so im talking about the sort of things that u dont read inthe 'to win' books.

TIA

Regards

Paul Clausen
Uni of Adelaide

[clausen]

Hi there,

I've heard a lot about these seminars, and am very keen to go, but missed out this time around in Australia.

I'm just wondering if any of you people that have been could tell the rest of us about some of the little bits of wisdom and advice that you have taken away from there.

Any other things that stuck in your mind? I have a pretty thorough understanding of geometry and chassis dynamics, so im talking about the sort of things that u dont read inthe 'to win' books.

TIA

Regards

Paul Clausen
Uni of Adelaide

[Frank]

there's three of us from qld heading down to sydney 2morrow for the CR seminar.. although i'd suspect we're probably more clueless than most fsae students

perhaps this would be a good place to start a thread with afterthoughts about the seminar..

i assume there'll be quite a few guys from the gong, usyd, unewcastle, unsw, and uts

frank

[PatClarke]

Hi, I think there are 42 at the Sydney Rouelle seminar, about 48 at Melbourne a few weeks ago, 70 in Detroit after FSAE, and 50 in Melbourne last September, so obviously they are popular.
I attended the whole seminar last year, and sat in on a session in Detroit, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in vehicle dynamics, FSAE or not.
I will drop into the Sydney seminar and catch up with everyone.
Paul, the Seminar certainly covers all the chassis and suspension dynamics, but it's an interactive thing. Claude has some interesting perspectives, not all of which I totally agree with, but Claude is always open to discussion, and very often answers a question with another question, quite like someone we know in FSAE-A http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif He is a really good lecturer and I guarantee you will not regret either the fee or the time. I would suggest that doing a Claude seminar is a necessity for members of a winning FSAE team. It certainly is a great thing to get on your CV, and on that point, I must ask Claude if he can issue certificates of completion.

Pat Clarke
FSAE-A Tech Advisor

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[PatClarke]

Hi again, Just a thought that struck me. I will be having dinner with Claude in Sydney in a day or two, and it occurred to me that those busy at or preparing for FS haven't had an opportunity to do one of Claudes seminars. If there is interest, contact me either here or at fsaetech@ozemail.NOSP@M.com.au (You know the mod to do to that address to make it work) and I will raise the issue with Claude.

Te usual disclaimers apply, I have no interest either in MOTEC or Claude's company, and am prepared to organise this because I know it really helps the students. Neither is this an official FSAE endorsement.
Regards
Pat Clarke
Tech Advisor
FSAE-Australasia

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[clausen]

Pat,

I am desperately interested!

I have emailed the address in your post.

Regards

Paul Clausen
Uni of Adelaide

[fsae_alum]

I would HIGHLY recommend gong to the seminar. It was WELL worth the money when I went to it last Jan. I couldn't believe how much I learned in just 3 days!! It was absolutely enormus. I think I learned more in those 3 days than I learned in 4 years of FSAE. It was REALLY good. Attending his seminar will leave you with more questions than answers, but it WILL cut down your suspension design time, and thoroughly increase your depth of knowledge of suspension design.

Ask him about his bad kart driving in Houston!! Beware, if you can get Claude behind the wheel of a kart, he will be black flagged in no time for bad driving. He is one ruthless karter!

In spite of...

[Charlie]

I tried to get the school to pay for one or two to go to the seminar in 2002 (when it was $750). It didn't work. When the FSAE seminar was introduced I think myself and our suspension guy were the first two on the list. We paid our own way, and convinced several others on our team to as well. Definitely worth the money. We learned a lot, and none of the top 3 teams represented I think it will give us an edge over them next year.

If you want some 'tidbits' of info from the seminar, I don't know where to start! Just go http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

-Charlie Ping
Auburn University FSAE (http://eng.auburn.edu/organizations/SAE/AUFSAE)
5th Overall Detroit 2003
? Overall Aussie 2003. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Frank]

I've sometimes been seen to be a cynical tight-assed bastard, and the MoTeC involvement made me edgy.

BUT, let me tell you..

That was the most interesting 3 days of my life.

Claude rocks. The seminar is a bargain (the jokes alone are worth it)

I advise anyone designing FSAE to go to a Claude seminar....

Read Staniforth, Smith first, and some Milikin.

Practice designing a car.

Then go to the seminar.

Read more Milikin, and then design your car.

Take a few people at the same level, with similar experience, so they can confer, and learn from each other.

Finally, I'd like to again say thanks to UNSW, Claude, and MoTeC, for the opportunity.

Thanks Claude, for putting up with my lack of knowledge, and constant questioning.

I only hope we can enjoy it all as much as you wanted us to Claude. I also hope we can impress you at the comp.

Pity we don't have the money for M800, or dash logger. We'll get there somehow....

Regards All

Frank

[This message was edited by Frank on July 09, 2003 at 01:33 PM.]

[Frank]

titbits.... a few reasons you should go and lessons you learn (or things you should really know back to front if you aren't going)

learn important lessons from consideration of 3D kinematics

know where loads go when you have anti-dive, anti-squat, RC @ CG

know slip angle sensors are expensive, and seem to be the only real way to measure slip angles.

know the dodgy ways to determine understeer, and oversteer in different parts of the track

know how to measure mass moment of inertia, and why you want to do this

know why shock hysteresis is important, and how it works

understand tyre deformation, its effects, how to get a rough estimate of it, why you should include it in your models, and why your "tyre data" is going to be expensive

know why you should learn to use strain gauges

know why pro/anti-Ackerman should work / not work

get important feedback from a seriously qualified design judge

get a full set of notes

get a kinematic spreadsheet to check calcs you do otherwise

discuss why, as opposed to "do this"

receive advice that is as important for the team manager, driver, suspension theorist, or suspension hardware designer

discuss the driver, and realise the importance of clear communication between engineer and driver

talk about sampling rates

listen to good jokes

get a NoTeC lecture thrown in (i suspect the theory applies to all ECU's)

regards,

Frank

gee Pat, have I plugged it enough? .. nah

[RiNaZ]

Mr Pat, can you talk to claude if he could have a student discount for his seminar. Im thinking about going to the one in North Carolina, but they dont have that 250 dollars like they did in detroit a while back.

The original price for the seminar is 750 but it's gonna be like a grand if you add airfare, hotel etc. Honestly, that's way too much for student's budget.

Maybe if you get groups of FSAE students to go there, maybe we could get a discount?

[PatClarke]

Hahaha, laughing my head off Frank. I could see you really enjoyed having your grey matter stirred like it was by Claude. Counting the number of flash bulbs that went off in your head was worth the price of admission http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif I love when a doubting thomas gets converted.
Jurutura, the seminar that Claude does for FSAE is slightly different to his general motorsport one, we get more low speed dynamics stuff and not a lot of aero, and that is how it should be. The notes Claude supplies (Fantastic resource material) supplies is a little different too. Because of this, MoTeC, who present the courses actually arrange a special seminar for FSAE students. The cost is about $250US at these seminars, however, to pay the bills, they need a minimum number of starters. I will talk with MoTeC about when they will present the next FSAE seminar and I will post the information on here.
Where are you Jurutera? There is no information in your profile.

I think Claude is interested in doing a seminar in the UK for the Formula Student teams, and I guess an expression of interest from teams would help get that going as there doesn't seem to be too much interest in 'other' places.
Pat Clarke
Tech Advisor
Formula SAE Australasia

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[RiNaZ]

im here in daytona beach, FL (USA). I just filled in all the info on my profile.

Mr pat, what if you intend to go to the general motorsports seminar. Shouldnt there be a student discount too? I would love to go on both the FSAE and the general ones.

I think if they could have discounts on both seminars, that will be great. Yeah, interest from teams might get us a discounts. Anybody in here in favor of discounts?

RiNaZ

[PatClarke]

Hi Rinaz,
I have no opinion on that. The seminars are presented by MoTeC who contract to Claude to do them. I would imagine they prefer to do FSAE seminars as a seperate event, but that is just my opinion. The delightful Donna at MoTeC in Melbourne is the lady who organises these things, so perhaps you should direct your request to her ? donna.arbuckle@motecNOSPAM.com.au should get her after you have removed the obvious from the address.
Pat (just Pat)

Rudeness is a weak mans imitation of strength

[RiNaZ]

Thanks Pat (sorry, it's a habit of mine to address someone older with Mr.). Maybe the alumnis who had been to the seminars could organize a seminar and share everything they learned from Cloude for free http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif (or for a cheaper price). Who knows right?!

RiNaZ

[MoTeC]

Hi Guys,

Firslty I would like to say THANK you to the students who attended the SPECIAL Claude Rouelle FSAE seminar both in Detroit USA, Sydney and Melbourne in OZ. It is very rewarding to hear that the students gained benificial information out of the FSAE seminar and that hence that is why it is becoming ever so popluar. As Pat mentioned we only held our first seminar in Melbourne last year which was a huge success and from that we not only had another FSAE seminar this year but TWO in Australia due to popular demand. I would also like to mention that a few students that attended last year, managed to score a job in a proffessional Motorsport team. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

If anyone is interested in attending the Australian, USA or Europe FSAE Seminar please take a minute to contact myself to register your interest. I will keep a list of peoples names wishing to attend, and when I organise a date for next year (depending on the demand and numbers) will advise you ASAP so that you can be the first on the list and wont miss out on a place.

To the students that are still waiting on the Spreadsheet that Claude is going to send you - i will get this organised very shortly. He only just returned back to the states. Again should you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thank you

Donna Arbuckle

Donna

[Scott Wordley]

So many cool stories... don't want to ruin it for everyone who has yet to go so I won't tell the lead wrapped wheels or the winged weigh in stories.

One of Claude's best short stories was his attempt to impress the a whole group of people who he was working with from Volvo who were waiting to meet him outside some fancy place. Claude spots a park right out the front and decides "I'll give these guys a bit of a thrill" and proceeds to bust a handbrake turn at speed into the parking space. Little did he realise that the Saab he was driving actually had the handbrake connected to front wheels. I think he ended up taking out 9 cars, infront of his new work mates and to this day is still on the Avis blacklist. Classic.

Regards,

Scott Wordley

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae