Genki Shikada | 1st year master’s student, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering
- Visiting Period: September 2023 to December 2023
- Study Abroad University: Technical University of Munich
- Country/Region: Munich, Germany
Below is a study abroad experience report from Genki Shikada (1st year master’s student, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering), who was able to go to Munich, Germany, to study at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This study abroad experience was possible due to support from Waseda University’s Top Global University project “Waseda Goes Global”, referred to as TGU below.
Content of the study program
As part of the TGU program, I spent three months in Prof. Gordon Cheng’s lab at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, working on robot motion generation using deep learning. Prior to this, I had the opportunity to collaborate with doctoral students in Prof. Gordon Cheng’s lab last summer. At that time, I realized the high level of implementation and research of overseas students, and I wanted to study and learn together with them, so I applied to study abroad.
At TUM, I had regular meetings and received technical support from the doctoral students and advice from Prof. Gordon as I advanced our research. As a specific research topic, I worked on a research project on a dual-armed robot called TOMM, which uses deep learning control to generate a grasping motion with both arms to grasp an object that is too large for one hand to grasp.
Prof. Gordon Cheng’s lab
Study results
At the beginning of my study abroad, I had planned to use PR2, a dual-armed robot to generate motion, but it broke down in the first month of my study abroad and I had to change the robot suddenly. I was so depressed when the robot I had been using for a month broke down. However, thanks to the support of TUM students who helped me prepare a new robot and held meetings to think about new robot tasks, I was able to quickly transfer the robot operation system I had built for PR2 to TOMM, teach and learn its motion over the remaining two months, and complete the task of picking up several different sizes of cardboard boxes.
With a fellow TUM student
My experience abroad
I usually live at home with my parents, so this was my first experience living alone as an exchange student. I was anxious before leaving Japan, but the landlord of the house I found on Airbnb was a very friendly person and I was able to live comfortably for 3 months. In addition, the house where I stayed had two guest rooms, so I was able to share a house with various people of different nationalities and occupations during my three-month stay.
On weekdays, I went to the laboratory every day and spent my time between research sessions chatting and eating lunch with fellow laboratory members in a cafeteria called “Mensa”. The cafeteria was a buffet-style restaurant that changed daily, and the price was determined by the number of grams of food, a system I had never experienced in Japan, so it was a new experience for me.
On my days off, I took the express train to other cities and participated in local events such as Oktoberfest and Christmas markets, experiencing various European cityscapes, cultures, and seasonal events, which was a valuable experience.
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- Cafeteria
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- Express train
Influence on my future career
The students and researchers I interacted with during my study in Munich were diverse in nationality and field of specialization, and it was stimulating to be exposed to different perspectives and ways of thinking. In addition, when discussing future career paths with TUM students, I was able to hear that overseas it is common for students to find employment in occupations close to their university’s field of specialization. Being exposed to such ideas, which I have not come across in Japan, strengthened my desire to find a job related to deep learning or robotics. I also worked toward this goal during my study abroad program, which assists me in the job-hunting activities I am undertaking since returning to Japan.
Other comments
I am very grateful to the people at TGU for their tremendous support in terms of procedures and finances. Thanks to this support, I was able to concentrate on my research life there and gain valuable experience abroad. I hope that more students will continue to gain valuable experience through study abroad programs such as TGU’s.
