From 26th February 2023 to 4th March 2023, 10 students from College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA went to Japan as part of the Sakura Science Exchange Program (SSP) 2023, funded by the Japan Science and Technology (JST) Agency, under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science and Technology (MEXT) Japan. This program is providing them the chance to learn about Japan’s culture and cutting-edge science and technology. It is also a part of the activities under the Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT). The program was conducted at SIT Omiya Campus.
The main objective of SSP is to encourage ongoing cooperation, coordination, and communication between Japanese research and educational institutions, both domestically and abroad. In this program, participants from UiTM are conjointly with 6 students from SIT to accomplished 5 days short course entitled Development of EMG Sensor Driven System using Arduino.
The program introduction was started with a research lecture from Professor Hanafusa, SIT and Associate Professor Dr Noor Ayuni Che Zakaria, UiTM then followed by campus tour. The training session is carried out by Professor Hanafusa throughout the 5 days program and divided into a few topics; Experiment of Bio Signal Processing Circuit, Input and Processing of Biosignal by Arduino, Controlling Actuator by Arduino and Bio signal Application to Control Rehabilitation Devices. Following the completion of all training, all students are required to develop a mini project in group and perform final presentation as well as opinion exchange meeting.
The training is interlaced with educational tour and cultural visits. The students visited National Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Tokorozawa, Saitama. The centre was equipped with a state-of-the-art facilities and resources available for individuals with disabilities. The centre boasts a comprehensive range of services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and vocational training programs. The facilities are equipped with cutting-edge assistive technology such as robotic exoskeletons and prosthetics, which are designed to support individuals with mobility impairments.
The students also visited SIT Toyosu Campus. The SIT main campus offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, science, and technology, as well as courses in business and humanities. The campus is equipped with an advance facilities and resources, including modern classrooms and laboratories, research centres, and library. In addition to its advance academic related facilities, the campus also has a variety of amenities for students, including a gym, cafeteria, and student lounge. On the same day, the students were also visited Kawasaki Robo-stage in Odaiba, Tokyo. The building features a various type of robots ranges from Drone and Robotic arms that serves as attraction and showcase the capabilities of the cutting-edge technology that Kawasaki had developed.
For cultural visit, students visited Kawagoe Old Town in Saitama and Asakusa District in Tokyo. Old Town Kawagoe is also known as Little Edo where the city maintains its historic traditions dating back to the Edo period in 17th to 19th centuries. Asakusa is a district in Tokyo known for its traditional atmosphere and historical significance. It is home to the famous Senso-ji Temple, which is one of the oldest and most popular Buddhist temples in Tokyo. The temple grounds feature a large entrance gate, colourful lanterns, and a shopping street known as Nakamise-dori.
Ultimately, SSP is successfully encourage the ongoing collaboration, cooperation, and interaction among participants. It is a hope that the knowledge and experience gained during the program can be applied to escalate the contribution in innovation. UiTM is honoured to be the Alumni of Sakura Science Exchange Program (SSP) 2023 (https://www.facebook.com/sspjapan/).