Hello, I am Michihiro Hayashi, advisor of the Design & Fabrication Club. Since the 2nd semester final exams have ended, I was looking for an interesting activity to help students pass the time. Breaking things can be a good stress reliever, and coincidentally, I had two printers that I was planning to dispose of because they could no longer be repaired. So, I decided to hold a "Printer Disassembly Contest." Rather than simply destroying them, I thought it would be more meaningful to turn it into a competition, evaluating the beauty of the disassembly process. The two printers were A3-size inkjet printers. Printers are excellent machines to disassemble, as they incorporate a well-balanced combination of various elements: "Machine Elements" for paper feeding mechanisms, "Electrical Circuits" for driving motors and printheads, and "Electronic Circuits" for controlling touch panels and other components. Taking them apart offers a great learning opportunity.
 The contest was held on the afternoon of Saturday, February 1st, 2025. A total of seven students participated. They were divided into two teams, one with four members and the other with three, and the contest began.
 First, the students began by observing the exterior of the printer, checking for any visible screw threads and identifying which parts could be opened. Since home printers are often designed to hide screws for a cleaner appearance, the students initially had difficulty locating them. However, through careful observation and examination, they managed to find the screws that could be removed and proceeded with the disassembly, starting with the outer casings.
 As the disassembly progressed, various internal machine elements of the printer, such as shafts and bearings, gears, and belts, began to emerge. Since these components required the correct tools for proper disassembly, the students learned about different types of tools and their safe and appropriate usage from the instructor as they worked. Along the way, there were unexpected incidents, such as lubricant grease and ink splattering, but after two hours of hard work, they had managed to disassemble the printers down to the component parts.
 Finally, the students neatly arranged the disassembled parts, marking the end of the disassembly process. At this stage, they discussed various ideas on how to organize the parts—whether by material, function, or size. In the end, both teams primarily sorted the parts by material, likely because it would make disposal and recycling easier. After a thorough evaluation of tool usage, safety considerations, and overall technique, the winning team was determined. The champions were a group of three 1st year students, who demonstrated excellent skills throughout the contest. As their prize, they received a box full of snacks.
 Meanwhile, the snowfall outside the window was remarkable. Our school offers various indoor extracurricular activities like this one, but we also have many outdoor activities, such as skiing and snowboarding. I look forward to seeing students continue to participate in a wide range of activities with enthusiasm and energy.

Michihiro Hayashi

Michihiro Hayashi

 　
 Hello, I’m Yoshihiro Kushima, the advisor of the Hakusanroku team (Team B) in the ROBOCON College of Technology. Today, I would like to introduce the event we participated in, the Tokai-Hokuriku Regional ROBOCON 2024 that took place on Sunday, October 6th, 2024. Michihiro Hayashi sensei has already introduced this year's theme, each team's robot, and the results of the competition , so I would like to talk about the students of Team B.
 This year, as in previous years, Team B consisted of 1st and 2nd year students from the Hakusanroku Campus, including 10 students who were the main team members and a few students who occasionally helped out. Each of these main 10 students had a few words to say about their roles and activities this year, and I would like to introduce these student’s comments.

 

2nd year student, Rinse Okiyama
Role: team management
 This year, I was glad that all team members were able to fulfill their roles and activities. On the other hand, the rules were complicated, and we created three robots at the same time to achieve a goal, so we found issues in dividing roles and managing the progress of the plan. From now on, we would like to repeat the trial-and-error process, overcome the areas for improvement, and make the best use of them in our next activities. We will do our best to grow further as a team.

 

2nd year student, Rintaro Kamoshita
Role: design and adjustment of robot 1
 I could challenge myself through the ROBOCON project. Our abilities, direction of thought for ROBOCON, how we work in ROBOCON and who should work on the tasks were always there as a topic that should be argued. It was very difficult to realize the meaningful project for each person in the situation where each person has different purposes of joining in ROBOCON. Thanks to all of the people who were helping us so much for this year’s ROBOCON. I will grow as much as I can by keeping this valued experience in my mind.

 

 

2nd year student, Hiroko Takeda
Role: exterior and decoration
 I'm happy that the battery didn't fall off from the robot. I am also satisfied because the exterior is very nice. It was the right decision to ask 1st year student, Ayane Ito to do the illustrations.
 When communicating with the members, I did not realize that there was a gap in understanding between me and the other members, and I went ahead with the project as it was. I would like to use this experience to make sure that my understanding is the same as the members' understanding before working on the ICT ROBOCON.

 

2nd year student, Eita Nakamura
Role: development of Robot 2-2
 Over the past year, through ROBOCON, I realized the difficulty of team competition and the importance of information sharing. Nevertheless, it was very rewarding to be absorbed in the robot contest and to be able to cooperate with other members while trying new things. I also found several things to reflect on, which I intend to work on improving in the future.

2nd year student, Kanamu Yamamoto
Role: development of Robot 2-1
 This year, I built a robot on my own for the ROBOCON, which allowed me to gain extensive knowledge about mechanical design. Reflecting on last year’s experience, I paid more attention to code readability and organized wiring, which was a positive change. However, I regret focusing too much on my own work and not being able to help address issues with other robots.

 

1st year student, Kaishu Ishiharada
Role: control design and team leader
 I enjoyed ROBOCON because everything was new for me. However, I made some mistakes in soldering and other operations this time, but I would like to make a better robot next year based on this experience.

1st year student, Ayane Ito
Role: machining
I feel that learning to use machines like the drill press and lathe for the first time was a valuable experience. Additionally, I was able to closely observe and learn from the machine design process led by my seniors. I hope to apply these experiences in my future activities.

 

 

1st year student, Shuntaro Tanaka
Role: machining
 It was enjoyable and fulfilling to complete the tasks assigned by my seniors neatly. This year, I went to Tokai-Hokuriku Regional ROBOCON for cheering, but next year, I want to participate either as a competitor or as part of the pit crew.
 I regret that I had a lot of overtime and didn't participate much in activities during the first semester. However, I was able to get along well with the seniors and the 1st year students, so although it was frustrating that we couldn’t go to the nationals, I think it turned out okay in the end. Next year, I want to make an effort to get off to a better start.

 

1st year student, Ikki Hashimoto
Role: machining
 The machining group is making parts for robots. In this year's ROBOCON, I joined as a pit crew member. When I joined into ROBOCON, I thought, it was very busy, but it was fun. Also, I could understand the fun points of processing something. I thought joining the robot contest was a very good experience for my life.

1st year student, Chihiro Fukumoto
Role: mechanical design and machining
 For me, as a 1st year student, every step—from brainstorming ideas to design, machining, and assembly—felt like a full-fledged job. The competition was my first experience, and although we had to tackle most things on the spot during the event, we managed to pull through, so it’s all good!

 

 Since ICT is physically separated by grade, with 1st and 2nd year students at the Hakusanroku campus, 3rd year students studying abroad in New Zealand, and 4th and 5th year students at the Kanazawa campus, and robot contest activities are held separately at the Hakusanroku and Kanazawa campuses, it is difficult for students to communicate with each other and to pass on the know-how of techniques and team activities. I feel that the environment for our activities is reset every year. This is a challenge for both the students and advisors, and it is a constant process of trial and error. For this reason, we have been working daily to improve students' technical skills and create an environment that facilitates connections between students and advisors at each campus, such as by holding the ICT ROBOCON at the end of the school year since last year and connecting Kanazawa Campus and Hakusanroku Campus online after school since this year.
 At the end of the school year, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of robots the students will build for the ICT ROBOCON.

Yoshihiro Kushima

Hello, I’m Taichi Eguchi, a 2nd year student.
 On Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th, 2024, the 35th National College of Technology Programming Contest (Kosen ProCon) was held in Nara Prefecture. A five-member 1st year and 2nd year student team competed in the Themed Section. For more information on the Kosen ProCon and the presentations by the ICT students’ team: Five Students Participated in the 35th National College of Technology Programming Contest

 In the qualifying round, we had less than two months to come up with an idea from scratch with our team members. We worked out what kind of product we would make, had Meguru Ito sensei check our qualifying materials many times, made many revisions, and submitted our proposal well in advance of the deadline.

 We received an A grade and passed the qualifying round. After this, the team members were assigned different roles to complete the product. I had the job of creating the mobile application. I had to use a JavaScript framework called React Native. It was the first time I used React Native and JavaScript, so first I had to research these programing languages so I could create the mobile application, step by step. It was a lot of fun to learn new things as I researched and implemented them one by one, and to see things that I envisioned coming to completion.

 I was also the leader of the team. All the team members worked on their own jobs and consulted with me on matters they did not understand. I was able to trust them and concentrate on application development without having to spend much time managing the team. I have the impression that the project went smoothly. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when the application was completed.

 Due to time constraints, we were not able to experiment with the finished product. However, we received many suggestions for improvement that we did not notice on our own or that would be problematic if we used the product.

 At the end of the two days of the competition, we did not receive any special awards, but I thought it was a great experience for the team to think and work from zero to completion of the project. Also, we completed the project, which made me feel relieved. After having participated in the programming contests last year and this year, I decided that I wanted to do it again. When I become 4th year student, I want to use the feedback the team received at this year’s competition and win an award.

Taichi Eguchi

Hi, I am Michihiro Hayashi, the advisor of the Design & Fabrication Club.
On Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, 2024, I took a business trip with the participating students to the Tokai-Hokuriku Regional ROBOCON 2024 held in Numazu City. Numazu City is located in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture and is the furthest regional competition site from ICT. The students and their faculty advisors traveled there by chartered bus. The one-way trip was about 8 hours long. The students bought a lots of snacks and fast food at the rest area and ate them on the bus. Perhaps the souvenir shops on the highway were a rarity to them, especially since there are few stores around the Hakusanroku Campus.

The theme of this year's ROBOCON is “Return of the Robots,” and the rules call for a robot to launch an another robot, retrieve objects, and return. When the robot is launched, it inevitably receives a shock when it lands, which can cause the robot to break or malfunction, so a mechanism to absorb the shock is necessary. Also, when the robot returns after retrieving an object, some obstacles must be jumped over, so each team needs to be creative in their robot design.

Two teams from our school participated: Team A from Kanazawa Campus, “ХАЙРТАЙ ШҮҮ 3k”, and Team B from Hakusanroku Campus “Tobihoudai”. The captain of Team A was Sansar Sergelen, a 4th year student from Mongolia. Therefore, the team’s name is in Mongolian. If you are interested in the name of Team A, please look up the meaning and pronunciation.

Team A's robot was designed with airbags for shock absorption and an arm that extends like a crane when returning. With only three members, various tasks took time, and they couldn't fully adjust the robot by the final date. On the day of the competition, they continued making adjustments at the venue but unfortunately couldn't demonstrate the soft landing with the airbags. As a result, they lost both matches in the preliminary league. However, despite the small team, their innovative efforts were recognized, and they received the "DENSO Special Award."

Team B's robot was constructed so that it could continue to operate even if it was upside down on landing. They also built a robot that uses a rotating roller like a pitching machine to retrieve objects. The members gathered after school until just before the competition to continue adjusting the robot. However, they struggled to reduce the weight of the robot and were forced to bring the improved parts to the venue by bus. As a result, the robot was able to successfully pass the weighing and measuring inspection for the competition. In the competition, the students showed off how they flew and landed their robots and achieved one win and one loss in the preliminary league. The efforts of the younger students were also recognized, and they received the “Mabuchi Motor Special Award.”

Although neither team was able to advance to the final tournament or be nominated for the national tournament, I believe that they were able to fully demonstrate the results of their activities. Some students may have felt that they “failed” or “felt frustrated,” but I hope that these feelings will become rich nourishment for their future.

Michihiro Hayashi

 Hello, this is Ian Stevenson, an English teacher at ICT.

 On Saturday, October 21st, 2023, in what has become another annual event here at Hakusanroku Campus, the students made Jack-o-lanterns. 6 students, 3 learning mentors and 2 teachers met in the project booth to cut and carve spooky, cute and manga character inspired jack-o-lanterns. This year because the monkeys did not destroy my pumpkin patch completely in my garden, we had 3 real pumpkins to carve and 13 paper mache pumpkins to cut.

 Before all the cutting and carving began, the tables were covered with tarps. After this, the students were told to be careful with the cutting and carving tools and then to begin. Different students made different designs. Hiroko Takeda, a 1st year student (who had helped make the paper mache pumpkins) cut her pumpkin into a bird called Long-tailed tit. Tenzing Deguchi, a 2nd year student, carved his real pumpkin into a famous anime character. Can you guess who it is supposed to be? (See the photo on the right.) Others cut their pumpkins into cats, spiders and monsters.

 After cleanup, the jack-o-lanterns and the extra paper mache pumpkins were turned over the Learning Mentors. They and the students used the jack-o-lanterns to decorate the main stairs. They put lights inside the jack-o-lanterns so that they look spooky and scary at night. The extra paper mache pumpkins turned into Halloween piñatas and filled with candy. One student will be blindfolded and try and smash the piñata open so that the candy spills out for the other students to grab. 
I look forward to making jack-o-lanterns again next year.

Ian Stevenson

　こんにちは、英語科目担当のイアン・スティーブンソンです。
　2023年10月21日（土）、白山麓キャンパスでの恒例行事の1つ「ジャック・オー・ランタン」作りを開催しました。6名の学生、3名のラーニングメンター、2名の教員たちがプロジェクトブースに集まり、不気味なもの、かわいいもの、漫画のキャラクターをモチーフにしたジャック・オー・ランタンを製作しました。今年は自分の庭で育てていたカボチャが猿被害に遭わなかったため、本物のカボチャ3個と紙粘土で作ったカボチャ13個を使ってジャック・オー・ランタンを製作しました。

　ジャック・オー・ランタンを製作する前に、テーブルを防水シートで覆いました。学生たちには、カボチャを切ったり彫ったりする道具を丁寧に扱うように呼びかけました。学生たちが製作したデザインは様々でした。1年生の武田 洋子さんは（彼女は紙粘土でカボチャを作るのを手伝ってくれました。）カボチャをシマエナガにカットしました。2年生の出口 天仁さんはカボチャを有名なアニメのキャラクターに彫りました。このキャラクターはなにか分かりますか？（英文右側の写真をご覧ください。）また、カボチャを猫や蜘蛛、モンスターにカットする学生もいました。
　
　後片付けの後、ジャック・オー・ランタンと紙粘土で作ったカボチャをラーニングメンターたちに渡しました。ラーニングメンターたちと学生たちはジャック・オー・ランタンを大階段に飾りました。ジャック・オー・ランタンの中にライトを入れ、夜になると不気味で怖く見えるようにしました。また、紙粘土で作ったカボチャは、ハロウィンの日に行われた「ピニャータ」用にキャンディを詰めました。1人の学生が目隠しし、ピニャータを叩き割ってキャンディがこぼれ落ちると、他の学生たちがお菓子を拾いに行くというものです。

　来年もジャック・オー・ランタン製作をするのが楽しみです。

イアン・スティーブンソン