Activity Report of Open Application Course vol.17
System integration to learn about drones as a subject
Report from Ritsumeikan University
Ten undergraduates from NMAM Institute of Technology, India were accepted from June 13th to 20th, 2018.
Ritsumeikan University is implementing the program to learn about the Japanese science and technology for the NMAM Institute of Technology Nitte University for the 4th year this year. Based on past actual results, this time they implemented a program with the main theme of “System Integration to learn about drones (Multi Rotor Helicopters) as a subject”.
They learned practical system integration, and examined future development for using drones, by directly getting exposed to such advanced technologies as robot engineering, sensor engineering, and information engineering related to drones, and through lectures and practical training about the drone as a collection of technologies in various fields such as mechanical, electrical, and information.
First, they learned about the principles of drones, constituent elements, application areas etc., in the form of lectures, and then they actually assembled a drone, flew it, and gained deep understanding about its structure, operating characteristics etc. Further, they learned about the image processing technology necessary for a drone that works in high places through programming practices.
On the company tour, they visited “Hini Arata Kan” at Daifuku Co., Ltd., where they were able to observe the facilities, equipment, and systems of materials handling technology that support logistics, all of which have been built by Daifuku Co., Ltd. After the visit, there was an explanation from the company on business development and challenges in India.
For the participating students, it was their first experience observing these advanced facilities and equipment in Japan. They were very interested, and positively asked questions in the question and answer session. Especially from the students who are considering internships in Japanese companies, there were many questions about the recruitment of foreigners by the company.
The students at Ritsumeikan University considered the program to deepen their friendship with the students of both universities, conducted presentations to introduce Japanese culture, and carried out an exchange plan using origami and chopsticks. As the students planned and implemented on their own initiative, they had a lively conversation, and it became a good exchange opportunity.
In the Japanese culture experience, they experienced wearing of Kimono and Hakama (formal divided skirt worn by men). They were interested in the traditional clothes of Japan and were seriously listening to the method of wearing.
In the laboratory visit at Ritsumeikan University, they visited the facilities and were introduced to the research on the “Optical communication system” and “Optical and electronic devices”.
The results report meeting was held on the final day of the program, and they made presentations on the latest science and technology learned during their stay, focusing on the “Future possibilities of utilizing drones”.
Such feedback as, “I feel that it is possible to respond to various tasks using the drone even in India”, “My interest towards Japan has further increased after learning the Japanese science and technology”, was received from the participating students.
Even after the program completion, the exchanges to keep in touch between the students of Japan and India continued, and it seemed to be a valuable experience for both groups of students.
