International Project 　【USA】
Laboratory for Computational Sensing + Robotics, Johns Hopkins University
Yusuke Kurose　[D3]
(Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering)

　
The Laboratory for Computational Sensing & Robotics at the Johns Hopkins University, (Baltimore, US) is among the most famous institutions in medical robotics research. During my six month stay, I was supervised by three professors, who are worldwide renowned top scientists in this field. In my project, I focused on the da Vinci Research Kit (henceforth: dVRK). The dVRK has been developed for research purpose on the basis of the da Vinci Surgical System©, a surgical robot created by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (see the details of da Vinci Surgical System here: http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/). By using the dVRK, I developed the tracking algorithm for the da Vinci surgical instruments. This algorithm uses only visual information from the endoscope, which is a standard component of the da Vinci Surgical System. In the first three months of my stay, I applied our conventional algorithm to dVRK, but incurred in a number of problems. However, the professors supervised me enthusiastically. We had weekly meetings where we discussed such problems and the advancement of the research plan. The tracking algorithm development was a success. In the second half of my stay, I updated the algorithm based on the ideas which gradually emerged in the weekly meetings.
However, six months were too short to achieve some conclusive result, so I brought my project back to Japan and continued to work on it.
　Now talking about my overall experience with the International Project, I have to confess that I experienced some difficulties, especially in relation to my accommodation. The Johns Hopkins University has some dormitories, however these are not accessible to graduate students. So I had to find an accommodation by myself. This process was somewhat difficult, as I did not have the experience of staying in a foreign country for longer periods. In addition, Baltimore is fairly unsafe. Eventually a friend of mine who stayed at Johns Hopkins University in the past gave me useful advice, and introduced me to local residents and Johns Hopkins University staff. Thanks to their help, I could find an accommodation. I feel much obliged to them. Without their help, I could not have stayed in Baltimore for so long.
Concerning the visa procedure, considerable paper work was necessary, an admittedly time-consuming task. You have to take special care about insurance and health record. In the US, a health insurance is very important and expensive. In some cases, the institution requires a specific health insurance. You should check the requirement of the institution where you intend to stay. In my case, I also had to submit my health record. This record included my protective inoculation history, so that I even had to investigate the record of the maternity passbook!
As I mentioned above, I had to overcome a number of hurdles. But thanks to my friends, I enjoyed my stay and my research very well. In your case, you may face the same difficult situations, but you will overcome these difficulties with someone’s help. I hope you really enjoy your International Project, which is an extremely valuable experience.