A proactive learning attitude and a supportive environment foster growth. Finding her own purpose through research.

Profile

Toshimagaoka Joshigakuen High School, Tokyo

She developed an ability to handle tasks efficiently during her high school years, which were packed with homework, tests, and club activities. After pursuing a path in the sciences, which she had loved since childhood, she says she continues to apply this skill in her research and her hobby, Sudoku. How did the shift from restrictive learning to proactive learning affect her? What were the many experiences and lessons she gained at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology, and what did she rediscover as her true passion?

[*] Academic year at the time of the interview (August 2022).

I attended a combined junior and senior high school in Tokyo. It was a college preparatory school, so for six years, the curriculum was designed with university entrance exams in mind, and my days were filled with homework and tests. However, it wasn't all study, as club activities were mandatory for all students. Besides clubs, I had a very normal high school life, enjoying my favorite TV shows, radio programs, and supporting idols. By my second year of high school, we had nearly completed the entire curriculum, and from the third year, we went into full exam mode. Through the daily struggle of studying for exams, I developed the ability to get things done efficiently during my high school years.

I had always liked arithmetic since elementary school, and I was also good at math and physics, so I decided to pursue a science track. When it came time to decide on a specific university, I was researching departments in the Faculty of Science and Technology and intuitively felt that programming seemed interesting, which sparked my interest in the Department of Information and Computer Science. I had some exposure to programming in a high school class where we built a simple website, but I wanted to learn it more seriously, starting from the fundamentals. However, I wasn't sure if it was really the right fit for me, so the Gakumon system[*] was perfect. When I entered the university, I was about 60% set on the Department of Information and Computer Science, but being able to take a variety of classes in my first year, such as philosophy, physical chemistry, and biology, was great for broadening my perspective.

[*] Gakumon system: A unique system at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology where students choose one of five "Gakumon" (academic fields) at the time of admission. After enrolling, they gradually narrow down their field of study based on their interests and concerns, and decide on their department when they advance to their second year. Note that the Gakumon system was changed for students entering the Faculty of Science and Technology in the 2020 academic year, and some of the departments accessible from each Gakumon have been altered. Please refer to the link below for details on the Gakumon system.

I have a tendency to get bored easily, so I've tried many different things. In the film production club I joined in my first year, I developed an interest in film editing. About 10 first-year students and I made a film, and we were also fortunate to have the opportunity to produce a film set in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture, in the summer and have it screened at a film festival. The other club I belonged to, an Electone club, was newly formed and challenging to run, but we held an outdoor concert at the Mita Festival in my third year and an online concert during the COVID-19 pandemic in my fourth year. For the fourth-year online concert, the concert video I edited received an unexpectedly large response, with nearly 2,000 views on YouTube. Separate from my university activities, I've become more passionate about Sudoku, a hobby I've enjoyed since elementary school. The process of quickly finding and unraveling the rules for a given puzzle is similar to the logical thinking used in programming to map out a path to a goal, as well as the trial-and-error process based on hypotheses. Two years ago, I placed 16th in the Japan Sudoku Championship. Recently, I've also been competing in the world championships.

In addition to lectures where we learn the theory of information and computer science, a key feature is the classes that offer experiments in a wide range of fields. These include the AM/FM circuit experiment where we build our own radio communication circuits, dynamic web page creation, game development using Unity[*], and implementing services using sensors. Since much of the research is connected to real-world applications, many labs conduct joint research with companies. Even in undergraduate classes, we had opportunities to hear lectures from people in the industry, which gave us a concrete image of how our research could be applied in society. Also, being exposed to cutting-edge ideas and technologies helped me decide on my own research field. [*] Unity: A game development platform provided by Unity Technologies.

A memorable experience was having my fourth-year undergraduate graduation thesis accepted at an international conference. Professor Ohtsuki of my lab has published many papers, and he actively encouraged us to present our work internationally. I would have had the chance to go abroad and present at the conference in person, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I presented via video instead. Still, writing the paper in English and creating the research presentation video was a great experience. In addition, having the paper published in an international journal further motivated me in my subsequent research.

When I entered university, my English level was only the foundation of grammar I had learned in junior high and high school. I didn't have a particular aversion to it, but I made a conscious effort to engage with it regularly by taking English classes. In terms of research, I've been steadily working on it by referring to my senior colleagues' English papers and doing my own research. Some people might worry about the level of English required before entering university, but you'll learn the English vocabulary for your research field as you study, and you'll be doing a lot of input, so there's not much to worry about. I realized this when I started university: unlike the restrictive learning in a given environment and within a set scope that you have up to high school, at university, it's crucial to act freely and on your own initiative. The same applies to communication, so I think it's important to have a proactive attitude to acquire the skills you want and learn what you want to learn.

My research theme is "respiration and heartbeat detection through non-contact measurement using sensors." Respiration and heartbeat are very important vital signs for understanding one's health status. Typically, this involves electrode pads like those used in health checkups or wearable devices like smartwatches, but there are many issues, such as discomfort from contact, the hassle of wearing them, and the high cost of the devices. Therefore, my research focuses on the "non-contact" aspect, studying vital sign sensing that does not cause stress during measurement. We use sensors to irradiate a person with radio waves and detect vital signs from the reflected waves. We detect the heartbeat from the vibration information contained in the reflected waves. The difficulty of this research is that the skin vibrations caused by breathing and heartbeat are extremely small, making them susceptible to the effects of body movement and the surrounding environment. In the future, this technology could be used to quickly detect abnormalities in elderly people living alone at home or in patients receiving home care, and be applied in the fields of nursing and medical care.

There are two main reasons I chose the Ohtsuki Lab. The first is that the lab's major theme, the detection of biological signals, was connected to my own personal experience. I've had an arrhythmia since I was a child, so I strongly felt the need for daily monitoring of my heartbeat and respiration. Therefore, a lab that dealt with research themes using sensors naturally became my first choice.

The second reason is the opportunity to conduct research in a global and high-level environment. I was hoping to gain international experience through my research, but this didn't quite materialize due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a great aspect of the Ohtsuki Lab is that there are many international students and numerous opportunities for interaction outside of research. Also, there are senior colleagues who actively participate in international conferences and others who are conducting research toward their Ph.D.s, so I am grateful to be able to receive advice from a variety of people.

I plan to work as an engineer at a semiconductor manufacturer, in a job related to DX[*] using AI. When I started my job search, I was also considering a research position related to my current research, but when I reconsidered what I find rewarding, I realized that I enjoy advancing things efficiently toward a goal more than the research itself. So, I shifted my focus to work that involves improving efficiency and optimization in production sites and R&D using AI (DX). The semiconductor industry faces intense competition with overseas rivals and is an industry where further development is required. I expect the need for DX in such an environment to be extremely high, and I look forward to working in a high-level, fast-paced setting. I'm excited that jumping into a high-level environment that exceeds my expectations will lead to new personal growth. [*] DX: An abbreviation for Digital Transformation. It refers to bringing about transformation in business settings by utilizing data and digital technologies.