Ms. Katie Wu arrived in Japan as a Fulbright Fellow at Kyoto University in September 2019. She was accepted to Princeton University Graduate School to pursue a higher degree; however, she was awarded a Fulbright grant during her final semester at Brown University (BU), so decided to defer by one year. During a previous visit to Japan for a two-month internship, after her sophomore year, Ms. Wu learned about the Fulbright Program from a Fulbrighter and alumnus of BU.

At Kyoto University, Ms. Wu joined the mechatronics laboratory, which conducts cutting edge robotic research. The lab focuses on bio-inspired locomotion and Ms. Wu joined the research team working on controlling a snake-like underwater robot. Ms. Wu enthusiastically explains, “Terrestrial and underwater snake robots have a unique geometry that allows them to enter narrow spaces and are suitable for search and rescue operations where humans might not be able to enter safely. They can be very useful, but they are very challenging to control,” she adds, “The robotics research at Kyoto University was very interesting since it covered a variety of topics within robotics.” Ms. Wu has always been interested in understanding the movement of animals and how humans can mimic these movements in robots. During her undergraduate years, she researched about insects’ flight movement. Analyzing the movement of fruit flies and bees, Ms. Wu worked with a robotic model to study the forces generated when wings flap.

“It was a very valuable experience to join one of the best laboratories in robotics in Japan. Research is conducted differently depending on the type of research being done and the professor in charge, so it was helpful for me to see how the professor guides it,” she reminisces. Taking classes at Kyoto University in Japanese was a completely new and interesting experience. She found that the same content was discussed, and the only difference was the language. “It reminds me that research is really an international pursuit. There are problems and there are people working on them, no matter which country you live in. We can connect through international conferences or you can make connections beyond the borders of different countries and work together on the problems,” she remarks.

In addition to her interest in robotics, she was fascinated by the unique writing system of the Japanese language and martial arts. She started studying Japanese as a second language in high school years and began practicing Aikido when she entered university. During her stay in Japan as a Fulbright Fellow, she took up new hobbies, such as Japanese calligraphy and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu several times a week at a dojo, and received her first and second stripe. “I got to meet a lot of interesting people. It was nice to know that even with the language barrier we could still communicate enough and have fun. The differences in country or language was not an obstacle.”

Despite the fact that the grant period was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Wu says, “I would recommend Fulbright because it is a good opportunity to learn more about a different culture, and to learn more about yourself in the process. I became aware of how much I still don't know about science and technology. I think that increasing communication between researchers of different countries through programs like Fulbright is very useful for advancing science, as well as understanding cultures and experiences of people living around the world.”

Excited about where her research ideas, projects, and the Fulbright experience will lead her in the future, Ms. Wu wraps up, “I’m looking forward to excelling even further as a Ph.D. student at the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department in Princeton University.”