I want to solve societal problems with interdisciplinary knowledge and technology. Studying in a cutting-edge environment will be an invaluable experience.

Profile

Graduate of Toshimagaoka Joshigakuen High School, a private school in Tokyo.

Born in Tokyo. In high school, I was in the concert band, and my days were filled with music as we prepared for the school festival and competitions. I began seriously considering my future path in November of my second year of high school. With the desire to "go to a Faculty of Science and Technology where I can do cutting-edge studies," I enrolled in the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology. Due to my interest in architecture and robotics, I chose the Department of System Design Engineering when advancing to my second year. From my fourth year, I joined the Masaki Takahashi Laboratory and began research on driving control for electric wheelchairs. Also in my fourth year, as an extracurricular activity of the lab, I participated in ARLISS, an international competition for launching small satellites, and received a special award.

[*] Academic year at the time of the interview (October 2017).

I was in the concert band at an all-girls' school in Tokyo, where I played percussion. We practiced almost every day, including during long breaks like summer vacation, so I was completely devoted to my club activities, working toward goals like the school festival and competitions. In high school, I was always conscious of balancing club activities and my studies, but I started studying seriously for entrance exams around November of my second year. The trigger was successfully completing the school festival as a senior member of the club, which made me think, "Okay, let's do this!" and start fresh. I had always liked math and physics, so from that time, I was already thinking I wanted to study at a Faculty of Science and Technology.

I was researching the features of different faculties using their websites and brochures, and the biggest appeal for me was the "environment for cutting-edge studies," including the latest facilities and diverse faculty members. Since high school, I had been interested in fields like architecture and robotics, so the existence of the Department of System Design Engineering, where I could learn interdisciplinary knowledge spanning fields like mechanics, electricity, electronics, and information, was particularly impressive. That said, I didn't have a concrete image of my major or field at the time. In that respect, the *gakumon* system, where you choose a field of study upon admission and then select your department in your second year, was a major plus. You first take a wide range of classes and then choose a department that matches your interests and concerns. I remember feeling, "This is a perfect fit for me!"

Just like the common image, I had the impression that "Keio University = glamorous," but when I actually enrolled, I found that there were more people with high communication skills than I expected. It was also impressive that there was such a diverse group of people with various backgrounds and ways of thinking. There were people in music clubs who were as good as professional musicians, nationally ranked athletes in the Athletics Association sports clubs, and incredibly brilliant people in the same lectures... In high school, I had led a serious life focused on studying for exams, so it was very interesting to find that "there are amazing people all around me!" Also, over 80% of the students in the Faculty of Science and Technology are male. That was also very new to me, having come from an all-girls' high school (laughs).

The biggest reason I decided on the department was that I could study architecture and robotics, which I had been interested in since high school. The Department of System Design Engineering is a department where you can broadly learn knowledge from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Electronics Engineering, and the Department of Information and Computer Science. For example, when building a robot, the hardware is mechanical engineering, the software is information science, and what connects them is electronics engineering... Having an interdisciplinary understanding of each field is a key point. Of course, it's important to master a single field, but for me, the ability to engage with society from a broader perspective was what I found appealing.

In my second year, when I chose the Department of System Design Engineering, I was interested in both architecture and robotics, so I took credits related to both fields. It made for a very busy year, but as I studied both areas, my interest in robotics grew stronger. Then, around the time I was entering my third year, I started to want to join the Masaki Takahashi Laboratory, where I am now. A feature of this lab is its strength in "exit research" (research with practical applications in mind). It handles a wide range of themes like space, cars, and robots, but all of them are highly conscious of their connection to society. I was drawn to the fact that they conduct research aimed at implementing cutting-edge knowledge and technology into society.

In my fourth year, I participated in ARLISS, a competition for launching small satellites hosted by UNISEC (University Space Engineering Consortium). This competition is held annually in the Nevada desert in the United States, and about 30 teams from universities around the world enter. We formed a team of about 10 people, mainly members of the Masaki Takahashi Laboratory, and developed a small planetary exploration robot. It was my first experience of *monozukuri* (making things) from scratch, from proposing the concept to building the actual machine. I learned the difficulty of completing a project with a team of multiple people and the fun of manufacturing. We were able to win a special award at the competition, which was a very valuable experience. Also, this year, as a second-year master's student, I am participating in ARLISS on the operations side.

Since my fourth year, I have been researching an electric wheelchair that can be operated by eye-gaze. Electric wheelchairs are generally operated with a joystick, but this is difficult for people who also have disabilities in their upper limbs. Therefore, we are developing an electric wheelchair that more people can operate by using their gaze. In this research, we use various sensors, so I am studying how to develop each sensor while programming and creating the circuits to move the wheelchair. We also have test subjects ride in the developed wheelchair and conduct experiments to see if they can actually operate it well.

The most difficult part of my research is connecting the programmed software to the hardware of the wheelchair. It works fine on the computer, but for some reason, it doesn't operate correctly when connected to the actual wheelchair... There are many such challenges, so I'm constantly going through trial and error. However, because of these struggles, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when the wheelchair moves just as I intended. Also, once you advance to the master's program, you have opportunities to present your research at academic conferences both in Japan and abroad. I have presented at the Robotics Society of Japan, as well as at ICCAS in South Korea and ICCMA in Spain. Receiving comments from professors overseas like, "I think your research is significant, so please keep up the good work," and winning presentation awards... Having my research recognized outside the university has given me great confidence.

Actually, I'm interested in urban development, and I've decided to join a railway company that handles city planning and infrastructure development. The reason is that through my research at the university, my desire to challenge myself not just in *monozukuri* (manufacturing) but also in "environment creation" grew stronger. For example, for a revolutionary wheelchair to run properly, it's essential to have the right environment. I believe I can contribute to things like creating barrier-free cities using IoT, leveraging the engineering knowledge I gained in my undergraduate and graduate studies. Urban development is one way to solve societal problems from a larger perspective. From now on, I'll need to acquire knowledge in areas like real estate, which is necessary for urban development projects, but the knowledge and logical thinking I cultivated in the Department of System Design Engineering are a great asset to me. I want to approach various societal issues from an engineering perspective.