NT
Nathan Torkaman
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Class of 2013
  • Alfred, NY

Clarkson University Student Nathan Torkaman of Alfred Travels to Japan for Robotics Competition

2013 May 13

Clarkson University student Nathan Torkaman, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, of Alfred, N.Y., recently participated in a Japanese robotics competition.

The Clarkson University team traveled to Japan to compete in the Japan Society for Precision Engineering's sixth annual International Micro-Mechanism Contest on March 13, with support from Kyutech students and faculty.

Though half a world apart, students at Clarkson University and Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) have forged a common bond through robotics.

The Clarkson trio put their 30-by-20-by-20 millimeter robot to the test against their competitors and won "The Excellent Award" as the only team to operate its device through a smartphone.

"They represented not only Clarkson but the college-aged population so well," said Jeffrey Taylor, Clarkson's study abroad program administrator, who accompanied the students on the trip. "For two cultures that have a language barrier, you almost didn't know that from the way the students interacted with each other."

The trip to Japan is the latest chapter in the two-year partnership between Kyutech and Clarkson, according to Clarkson Prof. James Carroll, director of the Northern NY Robotics Academy at Clarkson, which manages the regions FIRST robotics programs.

A team from Kyushu, led by Professor Takahiro Ito, participated in championship-level FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge competitions held at Clarkson during the fall semester. Clarkson, in turn, travels to Japan to participate in the competition with Kyushu each spring.

Clarkson will look to participate in other international robotics activities in the future that foster student interest in the science, engineering technology and mathematics (STEM) disciplines both locally and on a global scale, Carroll said.

"These exchanges present students with invaluable learning experiences," Carroll said. "Getting out of the classroom and experiencing a new culture can open a student's eyes and make them more likely to take advantage of the global opportunities that present themselves later in their careers."

The group had several cultural opportunities on the trip, including attending afternoon tea in formal Japanese attire and visiting Toto, a worldwide manufacturer of toilets.

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.

Photo caption: Clarkson University students (left to right) Nathan Torkaman '13, Minxian He '13 and Adam Brewster '15 competed in the Japan Society for Precision Engineering's sixth annual International Micro-Mechanism Contest in Japan on March 13. The students also enjoyed a variety of Japanese cultural experiences, including dressing up in traditional attire for afternoon tea.