We held a lab experience for lower-division students on October 29, 2020!

Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the implementation was canceled in the previous semester. However, there were still students who applied, and although it was a little late, we were able to take it in this way  to prevent the infection ( in order to reduce the risk of virus, we take measures such as disinfection, ventilation, and the minimum number of people required).

We introduced our laboratory (main research topics, seminars, events, job hunting, etc.), explained the principle and mechanism of the snake-robot’s movement, and implementation of control programming. She asked a lot of questions, so we had a good time.

The followings are the impressions of Ms. Y who came to the laboratory experience.

“First of all, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to meet with you, even though the new coronavirus has prevented us from being able to hold face-to-face classes at the university. I had only a vague idea of what a laboratory was, so I was happy to get to know the atmosphere and characteristics of it. I hadn’t had much opportunity to interact with graduate students before, so I learned a lot from my seniors and it made me reconsider what I am doing now.

I also had an exciting time learning things about the content of the research that I didn’t know or could not understand from the leaflet alone. Throughout my studies and student life, I wanted to understand my own characteristics and use this experience to help me choose a laboratory. I would also like to make a clear choice about whether to go on to graduate school or find a job.”

If you are interested in joining a lab tour for the lower-division students, please see the information updated every year on the homepage of the Department of Robotics, Ritsumeikan University.

On August 3, 2019, The Open Campus Day was held.
Although it was a hot day, we had many high school students and parents visiting our lab. A brief introduction about the lab researches and robot applications is given by our lab members.

Our lab members Mr. Katsuma and Mr. Oka have been working on the research of snake robot and pipe robot separately. Recently, they were awarded with high evaluations.

To be specifically, Mr. Katsuma (M1) was awarded by The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME).

And Mr. Oka (D1) received the JASSO scholarship. For the details, please refer to the Japanese web page.

Annual Baka Zemi was successfully held on June 22 and 23 in Makino Kogen, Shiga! The Baka means crazy, unusual and … WOW! The whole project was planned by the students and all the lab members joined it.

Specifically, it includes sightseeing, presentation, BBQ, spring, night talk, and games! In a word, it is quite amazing and lots of fun. You get the chance to see the other sides of your lab mates. And we drink and talk. Professors also joint us.

In the presentation section, four students won the prizes from Prof. Ma and Assistant Prof. Tian.

Oka from D1 with the title “工具貸し借り記録システムの開発”

Tomi from M2 with “実録ドキュメント　ロストフード　忽然と消えた食品達”

Taida (Boy!!!) from B4 with “理想の女の子とは？”

Miyahara from B4 with “さわやか目覚まし」の提案”

Hello everyone!! This is Oka, the M1 student. This time I’m posting about Bakazemi, which is held at the end of May.
Bakazemi is an annual event at Ma lab which students research what they care about or what they want to know and give a presentation in an amusing way. This year it was held at the Sea and Starts View Park in Tango, seaside of Kyoto. This park is in the northern part of Kyoto, located near the Amanohashidate, it is known as three scenic spots in Japan, and is surrounded by beautiful nature. I highly recommend that you visit there.

On the first day, we departed from Minami-kusatsu sutation and visited Amanohashidate on the way to the park. Amanohashidate is a pine-covered sandbar that spans the mouth of Miyazu Bay in the scenic, coastal region of northern Kyoto. The ocean was very beautiful, and the scenery created by nature was beyond description. One of the reasons for choosing Tango was that we wanted the international students to see this beautiful view of Japan, which Japanese students were also impressed by. Of course, we took a great number of pictures.

After arriving at the park, we held the Bakazemi. Every year there were various ideas, also this year there were many presentations which enough to make us laugh just by looking at the titles. The ideas never bottom out!
Let me introduce some…”Production of Laugh Detector” “research on how to fight more effectively than existing fighting methods” “Development of a system that distract loneliness by shedding music automatically after returning home & Development of a device which naturally changes PC screen when seniors pass behind” “Mechanism of absolute pitching and how to use it” etc… This year there were also many funny but serious presentations. And a discussion on the award was held.

The first place winner was…an M1 student, Kaizu-kun ” Molester Repelling Goods ” Huuko ” produced by a cool engineering student, protecting beautiful girls all over the world.” second place was Mukai-san, M2 student ” Production of lending management device for tools”
third place was Huang-san, M2 student ” Construction of a system for injured people to play games ” The fun of the research already transmits just looking titles.(lol)  Everyone was laughing all the time during the presentations, because of full of funny elements, although winners were very serious mood. (Actually I was in the slide.) The last year’s winner also spectacularly ranked in. All the presentations were wonderful. I wish I could show everyone’s slide here!

After the presentation, it was the long waited BBQ! We deserved this for our hard work.(lol) We ate, drunk and talked a lot. We fully enjoyed from setting fire to cleaning up while cooperating together. There are some things which can’t talk seriously without alcohol. After having enjoyed BBQ, everyone seriously talked with people who had not talked much before.

It is the second day from here on.
We enjoyed Dodgebee and light version of Photo Rogaining! First of all, I briefly explain about these rules.(lol) Dodgebee plays with frisbee instead of balls in the familiar dodgeball. It uses soft frisbee so you can play safely. In addition, it is difficult to throw it as you want, so we can enjoy regardless of whether you are good at exercise or not. And photo rogaining is a game divided into teams, scored points by checkpoints in time based on the map. At the checkpoint, we take the same picture as the sample.
In this time there were some difficult riddles (I couldn’t understand at all)
at some checkpoints and after solving all of them, we could reach the goal.  Well, it was pretty elaborate.(lol) Photo rogaining also hold an official competition and it is a great game that everyone does the exercise, taking pictures together and going around sightseeing spots!
The team of dodgebee divided into research teams and fought against the team. Photo rogaining was done by randomly decided teams.
Although, it was quite a hard schedule to take a little lunch break after doging dodgebee and do photo rogaining immediately. I think that our bonds have deepened after each game.

These pictures prove it more than anything. Everyone had fun. Day two’s events were successful. Everyone was asleep in the car on the way home…(lol) It was a very substantial two days. Mr.Morimoto, the organizer, who planned and executed this bakazemi and all M1 students, thank you for your hard work.
Bye for now. Thank you for reading this to the end.

P.S. Actually, we, M1 students went to see the starry sky on the evening of the first day. It also named of the park. But the weather in the mountain changes easily and the sky got cloudy. Then we took these pictures.

Mr. Yoneyama (alumnus) was granted half exemption from JASSO scholarship.

Comment: Masato Yoneyama

I received a half exemption from the Japan Student Services Organization’s scholarship.
I thought that I had to produce an appropriate result since I went to the graduate school. So I am pleased that I am elected as a scholarship exempted because my research results have been acknowledged. This is thanks to Prof. Ma, Prof. Hirose and other lab members who supported my research. I heartily thank them.
It is a pleasure to receive an exemption from scholarships. And I could gain confidence. So I definitely would like other students to consider it as one of the goals.
However, scholarship exemption can’t be accepted only from the goodness of the surroundings. Individual efforts are essential.
1.    Go to the lab every day to advance your research
2.    Utilize external opportunities including academic societies
and research conferences
3.Engaged in research without giving up

These 3 items are what I was trying to do in my research activities.
The first item is an obvious thing. I went to graduate school but I thought this was a substitute for work because people who did not go to graduate school are working. I also thought I should get experiences equal to the people who works.(It is difficult to compare experiences, so it will become sensuous…..) The second item leads to experience and growth. It has good influence not only research activities, but also job hunting, the later society life to utilize, challenge various opportunities and gain unprecedented experience. The third item is particularly important. In research activities, efforts do not all lead to good results or presentations. Unfortunately, sometimes we have advanced our research with wrong ideas and only time passes. Nevertheless, we have to continue our research for good results.
The contents mentioned above are thoughts of myself , it cannot be said that it is absolutely right. However, I think that those who are going to conduct research activities from now on, especially those who are going to graduate school, would like to create such self-contained attitudes and lead a fruitful research life.

In closing, the professors’ who were taken care of in the research and Ma laboratory members, thank you very much.
I wish for your continued success in the future.