SP

Springtime Sizzle: BBQ on theRiverside
Bring some smores and join us in this special
coverage of this year’s FGL Spring event

RING 2024

✍ Writers
KamilaAliciaStevenRobertAvin
Jesus
Sathya

🎨 Art
Mimie

📖 Proofreading
Alisa

🔎 EditorMax

After what felt like a very long and cold winter followed bya series of temperature fluctuations, spring has finallycome to Sendai. From our observations, this seems to be
the most popular season with FGL students, what with thebeauty of its arrival, (mostly) nice weather for months onend, and the general vibe it brings to our classes and club
activities. So pack your puffer jackets and trench coats in,take your shirt jackets and anime sweaters out, and enjoy
the spring outdoors of Sendai with us!
- The FGL Community Committee

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Springtime Sizzle:
BBQ on the Riverside
Kamila Putridifa
Alicia Adrian

The cool spring breeze has welcomed the beginning of a new season. Sakura trees
have started blooming, and winter jackets are no longer needed. Welcoming thisnew season, the FGL Community held its first event in quite a while, kicking it off
with a BBQ event. Held in the evening at Hirose River Ushigoe Park, the event was
initiated and hosted by one of the first-year AMB students, Umit.

“I’ve wanted to organize it for a while and was very happy it got recognition from the
FGL staff and community. Also wanna thank Alicia, Dash and Koharu for helping withthe event. Hopefully we’ll have more in the future,” Umit explained. He had prepared
the halal chicken skewers himself along with his friends to serve at the barbeque.
Roughly eighteen students from the first to the third year of FGL gathered to enjoy
the spring atmosphere as they savored the mouth-watering grilled chicken skewers.
While Umit was grilling the chicken skewers, everyone chatted and vibed along to
the music played through a speaker.
It was a rare opportunity and a breath of fresh air to finally have close interactions
with seniors and juniors despite conflicting schedules. Even during the middle of thesemester when everyone is juggling laboratory duties, club activities, and many
more responsibilities in academics or just life in general — they all managed to enjoy
the evening. Then to wrap it all up, they had a mini marshmallow roast, a little sweet
delight to end the day.

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As everyone left the river park, they still had smiles on their faces while chatteringand laughing on the way back to the Kawauchi station. After such a long hiatus,
everyone is looking forward to seeing the FGL community come up with new eventsin the future. We hope to continue this tradition of hosting events throughout theyear, and to eventually expand and connect more people. Until then, see you at thenext event!

Photo credits to Max and Avin

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Ask Senpai:
Hansen Witarsa
Steven William
Robert Wrobel

Greetings! This time we have decided oninterviewing someone with a quite unique andchallenging achievement. That is, early graduation!
Hansen Witarsa graduated from the IMAC-U
program this February. We decided on asking theIndonesian about how he was able to graduate awhole semester early, manage his time in such asituation, and what his plans are afterwards.
The choice to pursue an early graduation was not a plan that he had considered
upon joining the IMAC-U program. Around the end of his third year, the university
proposed the idea to his laboratory professor, which was how the idea was brought
upon him. Of course, the decision to pursue an early graduation meant that he had
half of the time left to prepare for it. After weighing the pros and cons andconsulting with his professor, friends, and family, he took up the challenge. It is by
no means the easy path, but he hoped that this would allow him to have more time
for his future post-graduation. Although at first that future plan had been tocontinue his studies for a master’s degree, he decided that gaining some work
experience for a year or two would be a good way to find clarity with the directionof his master studies.
This is the research title that he worked on towards his graduation:
Pedestrian Trajectory Prediction based on Spatio-Temporal Interaction Modelingusing Graph Convolutional Network and Long Short-Term Memory
Many of you may have seen robots navigating streets, shopping malls, airports, or otherpublic spaces. These robots may be delivering food, providing guidance, and so on. But
the most important thing is safety, especially for the robots to not collide with people
walking. In order to achieve this, the robots must be able to predict the paths thatpedestrians will take, allowing them to plan their own trajectories accordingly. That is
the initial idea for this research. By utilizing publicly available datasets of pedestrian
movement, I aimed to predict future trajectories while minimizing prediction errors.

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I developed an algorithm using various machine learning models, including Long ShortTerm Memory (LSTM), a type of recurrent neural network (RNN), and Graph
Convolutional Network (GCN). Throughout the research process, I iteratively trained themodel to reduce errors and improve prediction accuracy.
Now that you’ve heard some of his story, would you be interested in pursuing an early
graduation, specifically as an IMAC-U graduate? Before deciding, here are the answers
to some of our questions to paint a more detailed picture of what his journey was like.
What did you like to do in your free time, before and after joining a lab? Were they
any different?
Before joining a lab, if I had free time, I would usually just stay in my house. Sometimes,
maybe play some games, sleep, or study. I’ve had a period when I tried the library as astudy space, but in the end, I found my home more comfortable. So, that’s how I spent
my free time most of the time.
But then the lab came, and honestly speaking, mine was a bit tough. Just after I joined
the lab, I had to join a course to use the Robot Operating System and the Robot
Manipulator Arm. Both of them required me to conduct some personal projects andthen present them, so the workload was quite heavy at that time. Most of my free time
has been spent in the lab. And, quite surprisingly, after some time, I’ve started enjoying
working there more than in my home! That was quite strange, considering how much I
enjoy the comfort of my own house.
But, moving on, after the courses were done, I had to start my graduation researchalmost right away, and yet again, my free time was mainly in the lab. But that’s not too
bad! The environment was comfortable and the people were great, nice and supportive.
Did you manage to have a work-life balance you’re satisfied with, or did you feel likeyou had to sacrifice some things? If it’s the latter, would you say it was worth it?
Before joining the lab, I felt like the work-life balance was quite good. I’ve studied quite
hard, but on the other hand, I have a lot of time to do other things. Nevertheless, after
joining a lab, the work-life balance shifted a bit towards work, obviously. I had a bit lessfree time due to more work and projects.
For some people, it’s not fine, and for others, it is. They might just enjoy working or
studying more than different activities. And I think I fall into the latter category.
Personally, I don’t mind having more work. Of course, I had to sacrifice my free time. It
was quite common that I would be in the lab from afternoon to night. Feeling tired andbored every day is a normal thing at the time... But, as long as I can achieve my goal in6the end, I think all the sacrifices are worth it! I believe that if you want to achieve yourgoal, you might have to give up work-life balance and sacrifice a couple of things.
But I can definitely tell you that it will all be worth it in the end!
Which year or semester of your IMAC-U study do you think is the most fun, andwhich is the most dreadful?
I am going to start from the most dreadful, but fear not! It will get better. I think there isno semester where it felt “easy”. I remember the first year of studies and it was not
great. But it was mainly the COVID-19 made it so. Admitting to university in 2020means the people in my batch couldn’t go to Japan for a long time.
We had to spend 1 to 1.5 years studying online in our country. Making friends was noteasy. I felt like I was alone during the first year, even though I knew some of the otherstudents. Because we have not seen each other face-to-face, it was hard for me toreach out to them to maybe ask something or even just to chat. As if that were notenough, there were so many classes that we had to take. It felt like I just studied alone
from morning to evening without being able to do anything…
Fast-forward, I have finally arrived in Japan in March 2022. And then, right away, thesemester started. I think it was in the middle of my second year. It was quite a funsemester! I’ve finally met my friends for the first time face-to-face. Even though there
were still many classes, I enjoyed the semester. I’ve got friends to talk to, and I’ve got
to visit a lot of places in Sendai, just having fun!
The semester after that was also quite enjoyable - the beginning of third year. But I still
preferred the previous semester. But it’s just because I like summer more than winter.
Winter might be a little too rough for me.
Some words of advice from him:
If you get a chance for early graduation, it is totally up to you whether you want it ornot. I think there is no correct answer, since both choices have their own pros andcons. But in case you are interested in early graduation, I think you should do your bestin the graduation research, since you will only have a little time to complete it.
Completing your credit goal before the fourth year is also a good idea, as it will lessen
the burden of the research. And the last, quite obvious thing is grades; if they are good,
you have better chances to graduate early.
So, good luck to all of you studying in Tohoku University.

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Seasonal Article:
Hanami Is Not Just Sakura
Avin Sharma

Usually, many people have a misconception that Hanami (flower viewing) is limited to
Sakura or cherry blossoms. But that is not the case as Spring is the season of flowers
and there are a plethora of varieties of flowers to see!
Hanakotoba, the language of flowers, is an important part of Japanese culture in which
flowers are given symbolic meanings. Every flower holds its own meaning, enabling
people to express feelings and communicate through bouquets of flowers. In theessence of Japan's springtime magic lies a variety of floral wonders to uncover beyond
the traditional sakura. In this article I have compiled a few places and their respective
Hanakotoba.

藤 ふじ)

Wisteria (Wisteria signifies kindness and welcoming nature. It also happens to be on the logo of
Tohoku University. At Ashikaga Flower Park, located in Tochigi Prefecture, the stunningwisteria displays captivate visitors every spring. The park's Great Wisteria, a sprawlingvine forming a mesmerizing lavender canopy, enchants visitors who stroll throughwisteria tunnels, surrounded by a whimsical ambiance of fragrance and petals dancing in
the gentle breeze.

8向日葵 ひまわり)

Sunflower (Sunflower signifies respect, passionate love and radiance. In Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido,
vast sunflower fields herald the arrival of spring with golden radiance at the Hokuryu
Sunflower Fields Festival. Against Hokkaido's expansive backdrop, the sunflowers
symbolize the promise of warmer days ahead and the abundance of nature's joy.

躑躅 つつじ)Azalea (Azalea signifies patience and modesty. Nezu Shrine in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward boasts a
spectacular azalea garden bursting with vibrant colors in early spring. The annual
Bunkyo Azalea Festival celebrates the blossoms' beauty, allowing visitors to wander
through the garden's paths and appreciate nature's exquisite craftsmanship.

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梅 うめ)

Plum blossoms (Plum blossoms signifies faithfulness and elegance. In Kyoto, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
welcomes spring with delicate plum blossoms from over 2,000 plum trees of various
hues. The Plum Blossom Festival attracts visitors eager to witness nature's resilienceand the promise of renewal amidst the ending winter chill.

Let's not limit ourselves to just sakura during hanami season in Japan. Let’s embrace thedeeper meaning of nature as we surround ourselves with it, for hanami is a celebrationof nature’s boundless beauty in all it’s forms.

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Ask Sensei:
Dr. Andrea Vergara
Jesus Urbaneja
Sathyanarayanan

Can you start by telling a bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Andrea Vergara, I'm from Chile. I majored in Mechanical Engineering andspecialized in Robotics. I liked playing video games as a kid and liked games where you
can build stuff, like Age of Empires. I have been wanting to play Minecraft, but this partof my career is not the time to play, is it? ^^.
Tell us a bit about your time in Chile and your experiences doing your degree.
Unlike other countries, your Engineering degree is a 6-year course in Chile. For the first
2 years, you take general courses with other students and by the end of your second
year, you choose the department you choose to specialize in (say electrical ormechanical). I was confused at first if I wanted to do chemistry or physics, because I
had been taking classes on materials too, but ended up deciding on robotics. Then, I
continue doing my degree, specializing in robotics. After graduating, I started working
for a startup company with my advisor.
I also had to publish a paper as my graduation thesis, similar to Tohoku, but we only
had a year to work on it, so I couldn’t work a lot on my paper. I chose the theme of soft
robotics for my graduation project, where I made nano-sized cubes with silicone
elastomers that were hollow in the middle. So I go on and inflate these voids with air,and join these structures with magnets. The difference in inflation levels in cubes canbe used to perform various tasks and make the structure as a whole move. Or keeping
it simple, we make up a circuit and light up an electric bulb!
Now, I work on micrometers, focusing on LIDARs, which, to dumb it down, are SONARs
but with lasers. You project a laser beam onto a reflecting surface, and when the beam
gets reflected, you can measure the distance between the laser source and thesurface.
That sounded like the embarking of a long journey, phew! Could you tell us more
about your time working in Chile?
OH yes! I worked in the company for about a year. Chile is very big in mining, especiallycopper mines. They have such long pipes in the mines that extend for kilometers even!
So it becomes pretty tedious to locate/repair defects or faults in the pipeline.

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Our startup manufactured miniature robots that could go around these pipes checking
for defects or faults in the pipeline. My job in our startup was to look up and create themechanical design for these robots.
What made you choose Japan over other destinations to pursue a higher
qualification?
Well, the major reason was Japan being highly developed technically and intellectually
in robotics. I contacted my professor over the email, (I was very surprised at how fast I
got replied to :0) he advised me to get into a direct PhD degree, looking at myacademic history to date. It was a very quick process and I ended up coming to Japan.
I was also very intrigued by the fact that robotics in Japan is developed more on themechanical side of things than the electrical side. Usually, if you ask people who
specialize in robotics in other parts of the world, they would tell you about howelectrical engineering is a major part of their career, but in Japan, it looks over at themechanical side of things and that was right up my alley, considering I liked the designpart of robotics over the electrical and the coding part.
How was the experience of doing a degree in Japan?
Oh, how refreshing! I was surprised by how I didn't have to take loads of classes, I
remember taking around 4 courses, the whole of my PhD degree. It was very researchoriented and I loved it. Throughout my PhD degree, I also did a 6-month exchange
program in Taiwan. I was continuing my research project going on back then, just at adifferent place. I was receiving feedback from 2 different professors on my researchand it was very helpful. The seniors in my laboratory were very kind to me. Not only did
they help out with my research, but they would introduce me to good restaurants, andattractions around the place and help me enjoy my exchange program. I want to go
back and visit them, and go hike the tallest mountain in Taiwan maybe! ^^When I first arrived in Japan, like almost all international students, I lived in the dorms
at Aobayama. The first summer here, when I heard the cicadas near the dorms I
thought to myself, [Oh, these actually existed in real life and not just anime! :D ]. I also
get surprised by how safe Japan is. I could leave my bag at a table in a cafe, and it's
not stolen away?! When I walked through the arcades for the first time in Japan, thefirst thing I thought to myself was [Uh, These are NOT surviving a day back home, thesemachines are going to be taken away.]
Could you delve a little deeper into how your lab worked and your experiences
during the COVID period?
It wasn’t too bad :D. During the COVID period, our professor decided that everyone
would take turns working, ensuring that no 2 neighbors (the seating arrangement)
would work together on the same day or in the same time slot. Of course, there were12

strict rules about maintaining hygiene, and our timetables were handed out based onwhat I described earlier, but it didn’t last a month even hahaha. I remember this one
time we had an international online conference, so to have a neutral timezone foreveryone who attended the conference, the time of the conference was changed after
consulting with everyone who attended it. Of course, we got the shorter end of the
stick and it started around 10 pm and would go on until 3 am. The week the conference
went on, my sleep schedule was so [messed] up. I would go to bed around 3 and would
have to wake up and go to my laboratory around 10 am. We also had online parties,
which of course were not the same as having them in person, but hey something isbetter than nothing you know!

Thank you for reading the spring 2024 issue of the FGL Community
Newsletter! See you next season!

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