Space Robotics Lab @ Keio University

The Space Robotics Group at Keio University is a research lab focused on the development of robotic systems for space exploration and related applications. I joined through the Junior Research Experience Program, a competitive internship that places students in active research environments to work alongside graduate students and faculty. The lab's interdisciplinary environment pushed me to apply classroom engineering principles to real, open-ended problems for the first time.

My core project was the design and fabrication of an automated cell cultivation observation system. The system needed to monitor biological samples under controlled conditions — requiring precise mechanical design to house imaging hardware, accommodate environmental controls, and remain compact enough for laboratory use. I was responsible for the full design cycle: sketching initial concepts, modeling in CAD, selecting materials and fasteners, and iterating based on fabrication constraints and advisor feedback.

To bring the design to life I worked across multiple manufacturing processes available in the lab — 3D printing custom housings and brackets, laser cutting structural panels, and using CNC machining for components requiring tighter tolerances. This experience gave me hands-on familiarity with how design decisions translate (or fail to translate) into physical parts, and taught me to design with manufacturability in mind from the start. I documented the entire process in a technical report delivered to the lab at the end of the internship.