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Insect Eyes, Bird Eyes, and Fish Eyes

Gifu National College of Technology

H: Good morning everyone. We are from Gifu National College of Technology. I’m Yuta.
K: I’m Kohei.
N: I’m Ryo.
H: As you know, Japan has been known for its high level of technology in the world, and we have been proud of it for a long time.
K: But I’m afraid I have to say it might be ending. We hear bad news lately about Japanese technology. For example, sales of Japanese LCD TVs dropped SHARPly. Development and sales of cell phones are behind in the world market. A major semiconductor company went bankrupt.
H: Why did they happen?
K: One of the factors of these incidents is so called Galápagos syndrome.
H: What’s Galápagos syndrome?
N: Galápagos syndrome refers to endemic development of technology, just like plants and animals on the Galápagos Islands evolved endemically because of its isolation from other locations. Japanese cell phones are typical examples under this phenomenon.
K: Yes. Japanese companies are likely to be sticking to domestic consumption, and supplying in the limited market.
N: On the other hand, overseas products can be sold worldwide.
H: Eh? Even though they are not so good as Japanese? Why?
N: That’s simple. The more they make, the less it costs. While Japanese products have been confined to the domestic market, overseas manufacturers struggled to accommodate worldwide demand to make their global standard models. As a result, Japanese market was invaded by those global standard models made in foreign countries.
H: Then, what should we do?
K: Hey, why don’t you ask me?
N: Do you have any ideas?
K: I think we can learn it from the nature.
N: Nature?
K: Yes. Look at these pictures.

K: These are insects, fish, and birds. They see things very differently from humans do. I think we can learn how to see things in different ways like these creatures.
H: Do you think so? Then tell us how they see.
K: Okay. First, the Insect Eyes. Insects have many eyes.
H: Many eyes? It has two eyes, doesn’t it?
K: No. One insect’s eye consists of thousands of eyes. It’s called a compound eye.
H: Oh, yes. I learned it in the science class. But how do insects see the world?
K: Compound eyes enable insects to look carefully from the different points of view.
N: That corresponds to our thinking different things from the different points of view, right?
K: Yes, we have to be able to read changes in the situation in various aspects.

H: Okay. Tell us about Bird Eyes.
K: Birds have great vision so that they can hunt from afar, or look down from a height to protect themselves. Likewise, future engineers must have greater vision to cover more than their own expertise.
N: With Bird Eyes, engineers would be able to think objectively, dispersively, and comprehensively.

H: Okay. Lastly, Fish Eyes.
K: Fish have to perceive the flow or pressure of water, in order to get food and survive.
H: It means they have not only to see but also feel their world.
N: Yes. We can learn from fish to perceive the current of the world. In other words, we have to know what’s happening around us, and when it will change. Future engineers must not only apply what they experienced, but also think of the future current in the world.

H: Hmm. By the way, do you think you have such a broad knowledge?
K: Actually, I know little things outside my field.
N: That’s true. Although I have been friends with you for five years, I don’t know what you have been learning.
H: Really? What’s your major?
K: Architecture.
N: Electronic engineering.
H: Wow! Oil and water.
All: Mmmm.
H: Wait. Don’t you think this is a good chance to think about making our viewpoints broader? Precisely because you don’t know what others do, it could be interesting if you combine your knowledge.
N: Well, it could be. Kohei, what are you doing in your study?
K: My major study field is Community Renovation. I am a member of the Town Management Organization of Gujo city in Gifu Prefecture.
N: Hey, nobody here knows about Gujo.
K: Gujo is famous for the traditional dancing. They dance thirty-three nights in summer. It’s the longest dancing festival in Japan.
H: Well, what do you do in Gujo?
K: I attend regular meetings and discuss how we can improve the life in the community.
H: Such as?
K: Preparing a small park in each area, refreshing the good-old town’s view, preserving its beautiful streamlines, and so on.
H: Hmm, then you need to watch around the town carefully, don’t you?
K: Yes. We need Insect Eyes.
H: Bingo! Okay. Ryo-san, what do you do in your study?

N: I study robotics. This is a robot I made. This robot moves to the designated location by itself.
H: How does it know where it is?
N: Using GPS.
H: GPS?
N: Yes, Global Positioning System. We can get location and time information from the satellites.
H: How far can it travel?
N: Not very far I’m afraid. We still have many problems in autonomous traveling.
H: But, if cars could travel by itself, people would not have to drive.
K: Hey! That’s the point. There are many old people in rural areas that cannot drive cars. One of the biggest problems in such areas is transportation.
H: I see. If you had an autonomous car, you wouldn’t need a driver’s license.
N: I have another idea. Kohei, Gujo city has many visitors through the year, right?
K: Yes. There are many beautiful and interesting sites there. You can find many good fishing points along the rivers.
N: Then what do you think if you can take visitors around on the autonomous vehicles?
K: Couldn’t be better!
H: So… Ryo-san hasn’t thought about how his robot would be used, and Kohei-san hasn’t thought about applying robotics to the development of rural community. But now, you know what the progress and problems are going on outside your own majors. It means…
K&N: Now we have Bird Eyes.
H: Bingo! And in addition to that, you came to know how the world is changing, like growing population of old people, changing taste of visitors, and development of the advanced technologies. It means…
K&N: We have Fish Eyes.


H: Everybody, we have discussed what kind of engineers are in demand in the modern age, and how we can improve ourselves.
N: We should learn not only in our major but also in various fields of technology and science.
K: And we hope Kosen students have those three types of eyes, and will become the world-class engineers.