Lucas Newman, (Dyson School of Design Engineering)

For my IROP experience, I spent 8 weeks in Tokyo, Japan, undertaking research at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I worked in the Structural Dynamics Design Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The lab’s projects primarily consisted of developing and building CubeSats, which are standardized small-scale satellites. At the start of my research, I was assigned to read all the past research papers from the lab to get a better idea of the work. This process was incredibly important as it allowed me to discuss the projects that interested me the most with several members of the lab and determine where I could contribute.

Overall, this was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I will carry the technical and soft skills that I learned in the lab with me into the coming years

My project within the lab involved assisting with a CubeSat project led by a PhD and a master’s student. This project was particularly valuable as it provided me with opportunities to refine skills I already had and taught me new ones, such as origami folding. With guidance from my supervisor, I applied to the Multidisciplinary International Student Workshop (MISW) to present my research. Even though I hadn't finalized my research topic, my supervisor encouraged me to apply and set goals for my presentation. This was a valuable experience for me as I had never conducted formal academic presentations before large audiences.

My typical day at the lab varied significantly during different phases of my research. In the weeks leading up to the conference, my days at the lab were long as I worked to complete all the necessary work for my presentation. I would be at the lab most days from 9 am to 7 pm. However, at the beginning and end of the IROP experience, my days were shorter, typically from 10 am to 5 pm. Every day at lunch, I would join colleagues from the lab to get a bento box, and we would gather around the lab's ping-pong table to eat. One of my favorite aspects of living in Tokyo was how affordable it was to dine out, so I would try new places to eat every evening after leaving the lab, and I only cooked a few times.

Although I really enjoyed the work I did, the best part of the experience was the places I got to visit, the people I met, and the food I ate. With the other Imperial IROP student in Tokyo, we made several day trips outside of Tokyo, all of which were great. We visited the temples and shrines of Kamakura, went surfing in Chiba where they held the 2020 Tokyo Olympic surfing events, explored Kawaguchiko and the surrounding five Fuji lakes, climbed Mt. Fuji at night without sleep in time to see the sunrise, and rented a car to climb Mt. Daigenta. I also saw being in Tokyo as an opportunity to travel to other places in the region, so I visited Mongolia and went backpacking in the Gobi Desert, which was a unique experience. I also traveled to Australia to visit the Great Barrier Reef before returning to London.

Overall, this was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I will carry the technical and soft skills that I learned in the lab with me into the coming years. There was an enormous amount of cultural learning while living in Japan, and thanks to this experience, it is a place I would like to return to and live in at some point in the future.