Mike's Adventures

Week of June 15 – June 21

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
There’s Korean people everywhere!

2. Summarize your project status
I downloaded a trial copy of Autodesk 3Dmax for testing. I found some documentation as well as e-books online. Try to find the capabilities of the software and it’s usefulness.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

I took this picture because it shows the nice landscape around KAIST as well as the care put into it.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
Everyday I seem to get more awesome.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
No one significant this week. They might be hiding from me, or maybe, just maybe, I might be hiding from them. I wonder?

Week of June 7 – June 14

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
Korean language pretty easy to read and write, but starts to get frustrating when trying to understand someone speaking it.

2. Summarize your project status
I received a copy of Autodesk Maya software. I found documentation as well as e-books online. Try to find the capabilities of the software and it’s usefulness.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

A nice Japanese rice bowl restaurant we ate ate.  It was delicious.  Next, I plan to go to the taco place for tacos, which I hope are wildly delicious.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
I significantly enjoy Korean food. It is spicy without the heartburn, filling, and low fat. YAY.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
No one significant this week.

Week of May 31 – June 6

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?

Korea has a very well established transportation system.  It probably helps that the country is moderately sized.

2. Summarize your project status
Temporarily stopped modeling of Hubo to look into motion capture software. The idea is to better utilize the newly installed motion capture system in the lab for more natural movements, better model movement, and so on.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

Beautiful picture of river on way to Incheon airport to pick up Peter.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
Sleep is very important if I wish to be functional.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
No one significant this week.

Week of May 24 – May 30

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
Work days last more then 8 hours, but you don’t need to do more then 8 hours worth of work.

2. Summarize your project status
Started modeling Hubo arm and creating assembly structures.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

Outside the main bus terminal in Daejeon. I will leave here to go to Incheon airport to pick up new people that will be working in the lab.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
I can bored easily, but I am good at keeping myself occupied.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
No one significant this week.

Week of May 17 – May 23

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
Buddha’s birthday is not a constant date every year and is celebrated with lotus lights on the temples as well as free food for guests to the temple.

2. Summarize your project status
I spent the week checking and refining any pieces already modeled in solidworks.  This entailed making sure all the parts were the right size, holes were located properly, show if hole tapped, countersink or counter bore, and that all necessary details are labeled.  I was checking to see if any mistakes were made before assembly.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

A picture of prototype mobile harbor project at KAIST.  We were lucky in walking by as the were doing repairs or updates.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
I am way to lucky for my own good, but hell, I am going to enjoy every little part of it.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
No one significant this week.

Week of May 10 – May 16

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
Koreans have an interesting view on what is considered beautiful.  Also, plastic surgery is not only ok, but recommended.  Apparently many celebrities want to look more western.  Even though many girls are thin and pretty they still hold themselves to insanely high standards.

2. Summarize your project status
This week I started modeling Hubo’s chest.  I never realized there was so many small pieces inside of Hubo.  This will take some time to complete.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

Chris Farrell and his father came to visit the Hubo lab.  Chris is a prominent robotics student/enthusiast from Georgia Tech.  They were in Korea for the Korean Robot Game Festival.  They designed their robot to show the abilities of http://www.farrellrobotics.com/Farrel Robotics compand as well as for fun.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
Look forward to find the best route rather than back at a course we cannot change.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
I met Yarin who is not Korean, but Vietnamese. She was happy to have another foreigner around to talk to.

Week of May 3 – May 9

1. What did you learn about Korea this week?
There is deep respect for the land and past culture.  Everything from the past is a national treasure in a museum.  They also design beautiful landscapes.  If it is not right they rip it up and start again.

2. Summarize your project status
In solidworks I finished modeling Hubo’s hand. This encompassed many small parts with heavy detail.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

This is the construction I was talking about.  The sports complex is almost ready to open and they rip it all up and plant some trees.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week?
Hard work will always get you far, but if not done efficiently will cause you to waste time.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week?
I had a good discussion with my taekwondo teacher. I can’t fully remember his name, it was something along the lines of chueng.

Week of April 26 – May 2

1. What did you learn about Korea this week? It rains in Korea. For some reason it seemed like it would never rain. I kept thinking that because I was in a different location it just would not rain. It reminded me things happen all over the world and not just specific to some areas.

2. Summarize your project status I have gained access to solidworks as well as mastercam. I am currently working on creating a 3D model of hubo in solidworks.  This will be used for simulation and better machining.  The reason for this is the software in the lab is better suited for solidworks, because of available software and experience.

3. Take photos and select to be the photo of the week. Describe it and why you shot and selected it.

The photo is of students getting fast food over a fence next to their dorms. It showed that no matter where you are college kids are just that, college kids.

4. What did you learn about yourself this week? My big smile attracts a lot more people to myself then I knew. People came to me wanting to talk.

5. Who are the new people (Koreans not affiliated with the Hubo Lab) that you met this week? Around Tuesday we had a light, but steady rainfall. I had no umbrella. However, I was wearing a rain-proof jacket without a hood. The rain was nice to feel against my skin; it made me feel alive. While sitting on a post to block cars, a girl named Shinorei came over and shared her umbrella. She was very nice and getting her bachelor degree at KAIST. When we arrived at Hwaan dormitory, I was distracted by Keill and missed getting her information. I cannot wait to see her again.