Week 23 -- Buddhas and ICHIT

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This Saturday I went to several of Daedeok shrines and other historical structures.

One of the more interesting ones I went to was Okryugak. This was an old pavilion built for study. It was constructed over a small stream, and was put next to a temple. It was very serene, and it was nice to take a few moments to rest there after the hiking I'd been doing (I'd walked up Gyejoksan while there, as well as to Yonghwa Temple nearby, and also walked up another mountain to look at the Wusul Fortress monument.) It was good to get a rest.

I also saw Ssangcheongdang. This was a small building within a larger old structure. I was only just able to get into the larger one, as it was getting a bit late, but I'm glad I did. It was fun to look over the old architecture, and to examine the sprawling grounds.

I also had occasion to examine some Korean instruments this week, with Dan. Dan plays several string instruments and was able to go into detail about some of them (including one that was very much like a ukelele). It was a good learning experience.

2. (Project status)

I presented successfully at the ICHIT conference.

I also got video of the HUBO arms dancing, verifying that the RoboNova algorithm is indeed scalable.

3. (Photos of the week)

The first photo is of me at the ICHIT conference:

The second two photos are the two famous Buddha statues that I saw on Saturday. The first is the one at Yonghwa Temple, the second at Birae Temple.

The fourth and fifth photos are for comparison -- the other two famous Buddhas I've seen in Daejeon, both over a month ago. They've both been on the blog before, but I'm including them again for reference. One is the carving at Bomunsan, the other the statue at Bongsosa.

4. (What I learned about myself)

When I was climbing to the Wusul fortress monument, I went off path. It was a slog through a lot of brush and undergrowth, but I was able to get through and get up the mountain. I showed that I can overcome such an obstacle.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met several people at the conference, and we discussed the dancing robot project. It was a good time.

Week 22 -- ICAHRR and HUBO

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I did my first noribang -- Korean kareoke -- while at the conference. It was a lot of fun. I got to experience the fun of noribang, and I learned about how it works.

When a bunch of us went out for lunch at the conference, we had a multi-dish family style meal. While many of the meals here are family-style, most of the ones I've had only feature one dish, which everyone takes from (the hot pot, or sweet and sour chicken, for instance). This was the first in which everyone got something different and the dishes were still split. It was an interesting experience.

At the conference, RoboWorld -- a robotics theme park, to be built in Incheon -- was discussed. I learned a lot about what the Korean government is doing to make Incheon more prominent -- among other things, it made the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) to bring in business. RoboWorld also gives a few hints about Korean culture. It's to be a massive robotics theme park, but also include a commercial area and an R&D sector. Even in amusement parks, industry will still have a dominant role.

2. (Project status)

I successfully presented at the ICAHRR conference, and I wrote up notes on the other presentations. I created slides for the ICHIT conference.

After much persistence, I may finally get on a HUBO platform (the HUBO itself does not seem to be available, but a set of HUBO arms have been hooked up). In preparation for this, I've prepared the beat tracker/dancing algorithm to make the arms move.

3. (Photo of the week)

Us conference people, out at lunch.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I did my first conference presentation this week, and got through it. I learned that I can present my work to scholars in my field.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met several new people at the conference, including Martin Saerbeck, a German researcher (Back left, in the photo).

Week 20 -- samhap and presentations

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Up to now most of the dishes I've tried have been standard Korean fare, or Daejeon specialties. But this week the lab went out to dinner at a place that served samhap, a specialty from another region of Korea, Gwangju. Samhap translates to 'Three combination' and is a combination of kimchi, pork, and skate (a kind of stingray). It has a very unusual taste -- in particular, there was a strong ammonia scent to the dish (this site, while rather harsh towards the dish, explains where that scent comes from). I don't know if I'd get it again, but it was certainly fun to try it once, especially in good company.

We also went out as a group to a cutlet shop where we ground our own sesame seeds. That was also a new experience for me. It was interesting mixing the ingredients myself (with the ground seeds, wasabi, and a barbecue-like sauce) to properly prepare the cutlet.

Finally, Clayton and I went with Sean and Jihwan to pick up a new part for the crane. So I got to see how the inter-city mail works (turns out that, instead of a post office, some packages can just be picked up at bus terminals). Not the same as America, and very interesting.

2. (Project status)

I constructed my presentations for ICAHRR and ICHIT this week. I also added some supplementary data to the HUBO flowcharts and posted them online. I was able to get on the HUBO just long enough to verify the audio.

3. (Photo of the week)

Grinding sesame seeds:

4. (What I learned about myself)

The samhap was at first difficult to eat, but I was able to stick it out and enjoy it. I learned that I can eat foods that at first have an extremely unusual taste or smell.

5. (New people I met this week)

I didn't meet anyone new this week.

6. (Politics)

The two captured journalists were freed from North Korea. This is good news, and it signifies that perhaps N. Korea is more open to negotiating than their saber rattling on July 4 and before indicated. Neither Clayton nor I were really worried about the situation before, but I suppose it is reassuring nevertheless.

Week 19 -- Gestures and shoes

1. (What I learned about Korea)

While at lunch one day this week, I took note of the shoes near the front door. Most of them did not have laces. It seems that in general Korean shoes use straps or buckles, as opposed to laces. This makes sense, as shoes are removed much more often in Korea -- namely, whenever entering a residence (even a dormitory room or hotel room) and also when entering most restaurants.

I tried a new kind of food this week; I went to a kaiten-zushi place. This is a restaurant where a conveyor belt runs through the restaurant, passing every seat, and plates of sushi, sashimi, and other small foods go around on the belt. Diners take whatever plates they want off the belt, and the price is calculated by counting the number of plates at the end of the meal. It was a lot of fun, and the sushi tasted great.

2. (Project status)

I cleared up some issues with ICAHRR and ICHIT, and wrapped up the motor controller documentation. Next week I will write the presentations for the two conferences.

I also crafted some HUBO gestures so that it will be able to dance with a variety of motions, and passed those on to Jungwoo for simulation.

Clayton and I gave Major Korpela a lab tour as well.

3. (Photo of the week)

The sushi belt and Major Christopher Korpela.

4. (What I learned about myself)

The HUBO lab tour went off without a hitch, so I learned that I've become knowledgeable enough about the HUBO lab and all its assorted projects to describe them to others.

5. (New people I met this week)

I met Major Korpela to do the lab tour. He was a very nice person, and very enthusiastic about the research going on in the lab. He seemed eager to do research at Drexel once he fulfilled his current set of military obligations.

Minji and I also exchanged more emails, trading our photos that we took in China.

Week 18 -- David in China

1. (What I learned about China)

China was really awesome!

We stayed mostly in the south eastern region, traveling to Shanghai, Huangshan, Hangzhou, and then Jiaxiang for the eclipse itself. We saw a great many cultural artifacts, markets, and modern attractions. We saw a good cross section of the region.

One of the main attractions of the trip was the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai -- the third largest tower in China. We went all the way up and looked over the city, and it was a great view. The floor was transparent so we could see all the way down too. It was really nice.

We hiked on Huangshen mountain for 3 hours one day. This gave us some great views and also some knowledge of local Chinese legends, like the rock that supposedly granted different wishes depending on how many times one touched it. Getting onto the mountain was also interesting, as it required both a bus and a cable car ride.

We saw numerous Buddhist temples. The largest was in Hangzhou, called the Linying Temple. It was in a very large park, and included some cliff-sized rocks with tunnels and Buddha statues carved into them. The stonework was incredible. Other temple buildings on the complex included a hall with many statues, all bearing a different face, and visitors were supposed to pick out the statue whose face most closely matched theirs. Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed there, or I'd have taken a picture of the one the group decided looked most like me. It was a beautiful place.

Also in Hangzhou we saw a large lake called the West Lake, and we took a boat around on it. The guide went over a little of the history of the area (such as the mythological reason why the rowers on the local canoes face the opposite way from the passengers), and we had fun sailing around.

Before leaving Hangzhou we got foot massages. These were a lot of fun, and were very relaxing. They were a little painful at times (we all agreed on this afterwards), but overall it was a fun way to spend an evening.

In Jiaxiang, of course, the major event was the eclipse. We met up with another eclipse watching team, and we all set up our telescopes and got our solar glasses. Unfortunately, it was overcast where we were, but we still saw everything go dark when totality happened. It was a very strange feeling, it being night out at 9:35 AM. It really was the highlight of the trip. Plus, as the eclipse moved past totality and began to end, the clouds cleared enough to see the obscured sun through our glasses. It was extraordinary.

2. (Project status)

After returning from China, I prepared the camera-ready version of my ICHIT paper.

3. (Photos of the week)

The first photo is the view from the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the second is of the Linying Temple park, and the third is me during the eclipse at 9:35 AM.

4. (What I learned about myself)

I learned that I can handle being in a country where I speak none of the language. The guides helped immensely, of course, but even when we were on our own -- such as in a particular museum complex, where we split up -- I didn't get lost or confused.

5. (New people I met this week)

Another person on the trip with us was Minji Kim, a friend of Dr. Oh's daughter (who was also traveling with us). She was fun to talk to, and Clayton, she, and I struck up a good rapport. We're going to keep in touch to exchange photos and the like.

Week 17 -- PCMs and China preparation

1. (What I learned about Korea)

I didn't have time to sightsee or explore this week because of our trip this weekend. However, I did try a Western-Korean fusion restaurant, and gained some knowledge of what that sort of fusion food tastes like.

I also saw a little of the city at night. Interestingly, the food stalls are still out and doing a brisk business (as opposed to Philadelphia, where the lunch trucks tend to pack up at about dinner time). It was a fun walk.

2. (Project status)

The beat tracker/gesture transmission system is now running on one PCM computer and transmitting to another PCM computer, where the HUBO code is reading the serial data. The next step is to move this over to the computers on the HUBO. Also, I revised the ICHIT paper.

3. (Photo of the week)

Daejeon at night.

4. (What I learned about myself)

This week was condensed due to the trip, but I was still able to get everything done that I wanted to, thus demonstrating my time management abilities.

5. (New people I met this week)

Min-Wu in the lab is the guy in charge of doing things on the HUBO, so I talked to him this week. He's a nice guy, and I had a fun conversation with him. I'll be talking to him a lot in the coming weeks as I get my system up on the HUBO.

6. (Travel)

Tomorrow we leave for China. I'm looking forward to this next adventure!

Week 16 -- Shabu shabu and Gubongsan

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Clayton, Derrick and I went out for shabu shabu this week. Shabu shabu is popular in both Japan and Korea, and we had a very good meal of it here in Daejeon. So I learned what shabu shabu is, and thus I learned a little more about food in Daejeon and Korea.


This week I also went and hiked on Gubongsan mountain. Gubongsan is another of the Eight Scenic Sights of Daejeon. It was unlike the other mountains I've hiked in that it was more of a chain of peaks connected by a series of ridges, as opposed to there being either one peak or multiple peaks separated by valleys. Hiking along the ridges enabled me to see some breathtaking views, and I learned more about the scenery of Daejeon while doing so.


After hiking on Gubongsan, I headed over to the Standing Buddha Statue at Bongsosa temple. This is a famous cultural artifact. Examining it taught me a little more about Buddhist sculpture, especially as this particular statue is supposed to be very representative of Buddha statues.


Finally, after my tourism adventures, I found a restaurant where I could try boar. I again learned more about Korean food, and also that I like the taste of boar.


2. (Project status)


I determined that the HUBO computer should be able to run a version of the beat tracker, and that putting it onboard the HUBO is probably possible. I also wrote most of a serial port addition to the HUBO code that would let it receive information from the beat tracker. I continued working on the documentation of the motor controllers. Finally, I received confirmation that the ICHIT paper was accepted.


3. (Photos)


The first photo is from the top of Gubongsan, and the second is of the Buddha statue.

4. (What I learned about myself)


Despite some setbacks involving the serial port code this week (the original serial port functions I wanted to use were depreciated on my system, necessitating a switch to other ones that were more complex), I was able to push through it, demonstrating that I have perseverance.


5. (New people I met this week)


I was rather busy this week and so was not able to meet anyone new. I did find out when the English village meets, though, and so I should be able to go there one day this next week and strike up conversations.


6. (Politics)


No new news from North Korea that we've heard. Looks like it's quieting down again. The threats are becoming almost commonplace.

Week 8 -- Teacher Day and Uam

1. (What I learned about Korea)

This weekend I visited a few different tourist attractions. The first was Dongsan Pottery Museum, a very small museum in the north-east quarter of the city. It took me a few cabs to find it (it's rather obscure and the first couple drivers couldn't locate it), but it was worth it -- I learned some things about Korean pottery, and I got a couple of free books about the subject as a gift. So that was nice.

After Dongsan I went to Uam Historical Park. It has a lot of old-style buildings, as well as a museum about the founder (Song Si-Yeol, pen name of Uam). It was an extremely peaceful place. It was lightly drizzling and some mist hung over the mountain peaks behind the park (Uam is on a lower slope of Gyejoksan), and it was very relaxing to wander around and look at the structures and the paths. I learned about some traditional Korean structures while I was there.

My third destination was Dongchundang. This is a nature park on a city block that also includes a few historical houses. The houses in front of the wooded area were originally built for Korean scholar, Song Jun-Gil (pen name of Dongchundang), in the Joseon dynasty. They were recreated and kept as a monument to him. 

 On Sunday, I completed the hike that Clayton and I got lost attempting last week, and I made it all the way through the Hwanbon mountain trial. The path terminated in Munji-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, and it was a great walk. I then got to explore Munji-Dong a little. It seemed similar to the Yuseong Market area, at least the part I saw of it.

Lastly, on Friday, it was Teacher Day. This meant that the whole lab went out to dinner with Dr. Jun Oh. It was a very nice meal; we had all-you-can-eat barbecue at a restaurant north of KAIST. The barbecue was followed with a rice or noodle course. It was very good, and reminded me of when I came to Daejeon for URAI and we had a similar meal. All in all, I both learned about the Teacher Day custom, and about Korean barbecue during the meal.

2. (Project status)

Clayton and I are starting to make a new GUI. We're doing it in C# instead of MFC, so Clayton and I wrote a program to get and set the shared memory variables between the C++ and C# systems. I also studied a C# tutorial to learn the language. Also, I sent the first draft of the camera-ready ICAHRR paper to Dr. Kim, and finished the ICHIT paper. 

3. (Pictures of the week)

Two this week. The first is of Uam, the second of Dongchundang.

4. (What I learned about myself)

By completing the hike, I learned that I can indeed get through the Hwanbon mountain trail (and, more generally, on complex mountain paths in general) without getting lost.

Also, I'm beginning to put together lists of where else I want to go during weekends in Korea (on the list so far -- Seoul a few times, Jeju, the DMZ, and Busan). So I'm doing some thinking and prioritizing about what I want to see the most.

5. (New people I met)

Clayton and I went to a CostCo this Sunday, and while we were there we ran into a couple people Clayton had met while seeing the Star Trek movie. Kevin and Caroline were English teachers, and they'd both been in the area for at least 18 months. They gave us some advice on where to go (Caroline in particular recommended Busan as a great place to visit during the summer, for the beaches and the aquarium). We might meet up with them later this week when we see Terminator.

Week 7 -- Homecoming and Ppuri

1. (What I learned about Korea)

Saturday was Homecoming for the lab, so I got to see how Koreans celebrate homecoming. It was different from its American equivalent -- there weren't any sports, first of all. It was a big barbecue, and alumni from the HUBO labs came by to say hello and catch up with the current students. The barbecuing was different from American ones too -- rather than grilling the food and then serving it at a table, or even splitting it up onto plates at the grill, the meat was just placed onto a single tray as soon as it was done cooking and we all took pieces from the tray with chopsticks and ate while standing by the grill. 

Also on Saturday, before homecoming, I saw the Dunsan Prehistoric Site. There were a few recreated twig huts there, and some information on the prehistoric inhabitants of Korea. So I learned a little about that subject.

Finally, today I went to Ppuri park. There were may sculptures there, and walking around them was very relaxing. I learned a bit more about what sort of sculptures can be found in Korea.

2. (Project status)

This week I was documenting the khr3 code. Unlike the HUBO project, there is no main loop; this code runs the GUI and so functions are called depending on what buttons the user presses. So I documented the tutorials we have that are used to turn on the HUBO and make it gesture, and then documented the various buttons on the GUI and explained what everything did.

I also finished the rough draft of my ICHIT submission. 

3. (Picture of the week)

Some sculptures at Ppuri park:

4. (What I learned about myself)

I ran into a setback this week when the ATM at Citi bank (the only one I know of that accepts foreign cards) was broken when I needed money, but I simply reprioritized and shifted my plans to make do until the machine was fixed. I thus learned a little bit about making flexible pans.

Also, Clayton and I went hiking in the hills behind Nuri Hall and became somewhat lost. However, we were able to find our way down the mountain and back onto a road despite losing the trail. And even before that we went a large distance on the trail, and got about 65% of the way to Daedeok. So I learned that my hiking abilities are still pretty good.

5. (New people I met)

One of the alumni I met at the Homecoming barbecue was John, a native of Sweden. He was very friendly and we discussed the HUBO lab and a thing or two to do in Seoul.

I also met JungHo Lee, who wrote a paper that I read and cited for ICHIT. That was neat.

Week 6 -- Yeojin and Hanmin Market

1. (What I learned about Korea)

On Thursday some of the guys in the lab, Clayton, and I went to one of the KAIST string quartets as they performed some Mozart and Haydn. It was good music. After the concert, we went to Mercury to grab dinner, and I learned some more about the HUBO lab students and what they do (they go to a couple concerts a year, for instance).

On Friday, I went to the observatory in the evening. The Daejeon Observatory is conveniently very near KAIST, about twenty minutes on foot to the north of the school. So I looked through the telescopes and explored the facility. I enjoyed it.

On Saturday, I went to Yeojin, the Buddhist gallery. I walked around the sculpture garden and admired the various works of art. The figures were extremely well detailed, and I had a lot of fun walking through the museum. After that, I walked to the Asia Museum, and I learned about Asian art.

And today, I went to Hanmin Market, and so I learned what a traditional market in Korea looks like and what sorts of things they sell there. I got some good fruit, candy, and grilled fish.

2. (Project status)

I finished the flowcharts and documentation for the part of the code labeled 'HUBO,' so next week I'll probably start documenting the other part, labeled 'khr3win' (the GUI for the Hubo).

I also began working on a paper for the ICHIT conference, and want to have the rough draft complete by Friday (the 8th).

3. (Picture of the week).

A statue at Yeojin:

4. (Things I learned about myself)

While traveling around Yeojin and heading to the Asia Museum, I had to walk a fairly long distance. But I made it there alright, and so I learned that I can navigate unfamiliar areas of the city.

5. (New people I met)

I encountered two students from Uzbeckistan whom RJ and Bryan had been friends with. They were very friendly and offered me some advice and tips. We got along well. Its nice to know a couple more people in Nuri Hall.