[No. 120] Naoki Motoi

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved for giving me this opportunity to write for the Keio University alumni newsletter. Although I am still young, I will take the liberty of writing about my impressions of Keio University. I spent a total of eight years at Keio University: four years as an undergraduate, two years in the master's program, and two years in the doctoral program. Looking back on these eight years of student life, I recall the enjoyable days in my research lab and student clubs. I feel that the various experiences I had as a student are now a great asset and form the foundation of my current life. I will briefly write about my memories of student life and my subsequent professional career.

Since my junior high and high school days, I have always liked science subjects and, before I knew it, I was dreaming of one day becoming a researcher and conducting various studies. I enjoyed making things, such as crafts, and had a particularly strong admiration for robots. For this reason, when it came to university entrance exams, I chose Gakumon 4, a category from which many students advance to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, based on the idea that robots meant machinery, and I enrolled at Keio University. Later, at a briefing session on department assignments, I was attracted to the interdisciplinary academic system and chose the Department of System Design Engineering. I believe this "Gakumon system," where students decide their department upon advancing to their second year, has had a major impact on my life. Instead of choosing a department based solely on the image I had in high school, I was able to clarify my future vision by visiting actual research labs and observing various studies after entering university. In the Department of System Design Engineering, I was blessed with great classmates and feel that I was able to learn a great deal of knowledge directly applicable to my current work.

As for club activities, one of the joys of university life, I belonged to the "Keikyukai" tennis club, where I enjoyed playing tennis and going to drinking parties, making the most of my university life. Especially during the club's training camps over the long summer and spring breaks, my days were filled with tennis during the day and drinking parties at night. The many friends I made in the club are still good friends for life with whom I keep in touch.

For my research lab assignment in my fourth year of undergraduate studies, I hoped to join the lab led by Professor Kohei Ohnishi, and my wish was granted. The Ohnishi Lab, where I was assigned, had many faculty members who are now active at various universities as alumni, making it a very stimulating environment that was always globally conscious. Fortunately, being assigned to such a blessed and stimulating lab, I naturally began to think that I, too, wanted to conduct research that would be useful to people.

For my research, I studied the push motion control of a parallel-link humanoid robot, for the reason that it looked cool (laughs). In my graduation research as a fourth-year undergraduate, I experienced research for the first time, and while I keenly felt its difficulty, I spent my days even more absorbed in the fun of it.

As a master's student, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to participate in several international conferences, where I could experience firsthand the high level of global research and understand the position of my own work. The experience of participating in many international conferences as a student has had a major impact on my current research life. I am deeply grateful to Professor Kohei Ohnishi for allowing me to attend so many of them.

After completing my master's degree, I wanted to bring robot technology into homes and enrich the lives of more people, so I joined Toyota Motor Corporation, which had just unveiled its partner robots at the Aichi Expo. After joining the company, I requested to be assigned to the Partner Robot Division without hesitation, and my request was granted. At that time, Tetsuya Taira was the one who kindly advised me on my department assignment and with whom I later worked as a colleague. Even after starting my job, I felt the strength of the connections that Keio University fosters. After being assigned to the Partner Robot Division, I worked on the robot development I had hoped for, spending busy but enjoyable days.

Meanwhile, a desire to deepen my own research began to grow, and I decided to advance to the Ph.D. program. For two years, I led a double life, working in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, from Monday to Friday, and conducting research at the Yagami Campus and Shin-Kawasaki Town Campus (K2) on weekends. Although it was a busy and physically demanding schedule, every day was spent on the research and development of robots, which I love, and I was able to lead a very fulfilling life.

After completing the Doctoral Programs, my desire to do more research at a university, a dream I had held since junior high school, grew stronger each day. So, I made a firm decision, left Toyota Motor Corporation, and began working as a research faculty member at Yokohama National University. On this occasion as well, professors and senior members of the lab at Keio University kindly offered their advice, and I once again felt the strength of the connections that Keio University fosters. Since January 2014, I have been working as a lecturer at Kobe University in my home prefecture of Hyogo. From April 2015, I plan to have my own research lab.

Looking back on my eight years at Keio University, I feel that the foundation for my current work as a researcher was formed during my time there. I also feel the strength of the connections Keio University fosters at every major turning point in my life. From my time as one of the Keio students to now as one of the Keio University alumni, I feel that Keio provides a blessed environment where, if you continue to strive for what you desire, many people—including professors, friends, senior and junior lab members—will respond and you can grow together through friendly competition. There is a saying, "What one likes, one will do well," and I believe that if you thoroughly pursue what interests you, the outline of your future will naturally come into view. I hope that my experience will serve as a hint for junior high and high school students considering applying to the Faculty of Science and Technology as they envision their futures.