Joshua Vaughan’s International Experiences

 

Research Abroad

Location: Tokyo Institute of Technology – Tokyo, Japan

Dates: November 6, 2006 – February 16, 2007

Lab: Hirose-Fukushima Robotics Lab, 21st Century Center of Excellence in Robotics

Sponsor: NSF International Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Project

Topic: Dynamics and Control of Mobile Tower Cranes

 

As part of a NSF funded Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Project, I traveled to Tokyo Institute of Technology to modify the portable tower crane designed and built by Jason Lawrence and housed in the Hirose-Fukushima Robotics Lab.  The main modification was to add motors to each of the support legs of the tower, to provide base motion.  This provided an experimental platform for my research work in mobile cranes.  The experience was one of the best that I have had during my time at Georgia Tech.  All parts of the trip were amazing.  I had the pleasure of not only interacting with the Japanese students in Professor Hirose’s lab, but also the many other international students visiting; students from Scotland, Brazil, and Holland.  I found Tokyo incredibly easy to explore; it very quickly felt like home. 

Text Box: Figure 2: The Imperial Palace Text Box: Figure 1: Working with Japanese Student

   


Travel Abroad

Location: Kumoh National Institute of Technology – Gumi, South Korea

Dates: January 15-19, 2007

Lab: VibMe Lab – Dr. Seong-Wook Hong

 

During my stay in Tokyo, I took a trip to visit Dr. Hong (who had worked in our lab at Georgia Tech), his lab, and Seah Mechatech, a company using some of our research groups work.  I gave a talk on my research, toured the school and Dr. Hong’s lab, attending meetings with Dr. Hong’s students.  Dr. Hong and several of his students also took me to see the capital of Korea during the Silla Dynasty, Gyeongju.

 

Text Box: Figure 3: Dinner in Gyeongju

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location: Roma and Salerno, Italy

Dates: April 18-24, 2004

Conference: IFAC Symposium "Advances in Automotive Control"

Paper Title: A Multiple Model Approach to Payload Compensation via Active Suspension Control

 

I traveled, in 2004, to Italy to present a paper covering a portion of my Master’s Thesis work.  I spent several days in Roma, then drove down the coast to the conference location at the University of Salerno.  It was my first conference experience and my first time traveling outside of the United States.  Italy was beautiful and the presentation successful.