_Superception Lab Cover Letter

• My name is Shota Aoyama, a first-year student at Columbia University.

  • Resume (EN) / LinkedIn / Twitter / GitHub
  • I am majoring in Information Science with a minor in Philosophy.

• I would like to inquire about the opportunity to participate in the research internship at Superception Lab.

  • The theme and research methodology of Superception align perfectly with my interests, and I believe that I can gain unique insights and skills through hands-on research experience. That’s why I am reaching out to you.
  • I will be returning to my home in Tokyo from mid-May to the end of August 2023, and I would be thrilled to participate during that period.
    • Alternatively, I am also available for remote participation from the United States at other times.

• Below, I have summarized my areas of interest, past development/research experience, and what I can do and would like to work on.

Areas of Interest §

• In general, I am interested in the cycle of “implementing and experimenting with new things” and “thinking about abstract concepts based on them.”

  • Exploring New Models through Implementation

• Currently, I am particularly interested in the interface between humans and reality based on Subjective Perception of Reality.

  • The research topics of Superception are closely related to this interest, and I have had a strong interest in them for a long time.
    • The approach of The Tight Game has been the inspiration for the mechanism of Elastic Synchronization, and I have learned about the fascinating aspects of engineering perception from Theory of the versatile body and Parallel Eyes, among others.
    • (I noticed that almost all of the research that strongly interests me in the Inami Lab is associated with Professor Kasahara.)
  • Specifically, I am interested in the way communication takes place under the assumption of a relative sense of time.
    • I believe that the sense of time also becomes subjective and relative, deviating from the traditional notion of “everyone sharing a linear timeline.”
      • MetaChron, VirtualTimes
      • Interface that Coexists Real-Time and Slow Motion
      • What makes Nico Nico Douga unique
      • I can play Kendama! VR
    • However, much of the existing research focuses on the time perception of individual humans.
    • I am interested in the interaction between entities (primarily humans) that perceive time in this environment.
      • For example, the conventional synchronous communication assumes the sharing of time, which may not be feasible in an environment where the perception of time is relative.
      • Therefore, I have implemented a prototype of a new voice communication system based on the mechanism of Elastic Synchronization and the assumption of a relative sense of time.
        • Details: Proposal for Non-Turn-Based Communication with Voice
    • Additionally, there are pages linked from Exploration of Virtual Time that compile my thoughts and experiments so far.

• Although it deviates slightly from the themes of Superception, I am also interested in the use of computers as an External Brain to enhance intellectual capabilities.

  • I am collaborating with a friend on improving the concept of the Knowledge Base, building upon the idea of Semantic Desktop.
    • Original concept: Protocol & Interface for Connecting Various External Brain Services

Past Development/Research Experience §

• UIST 2022 Student Innovation Contest - October 2022
  • Developed a system that creates arbitrary shadow images using levitating objects with ultrasound and conducted a demo.
• Internship at Helpfeel Inc. - March 2022
  • Interned at Helpfeel Inc, the company behind https://scrapbox.io.- I have conducted analysis and made proposals for various features, as well as implemented the frontend (using React) and backend (using Express.js).
• 2020 Exploratory IT Human Resources Project - June 2020 to March 2021
  • Under the guidance of PM Inami, I developed an online class delivery platform over the course of one year.
    • I implemented the frontend for iOS/Mac and the delivery system, and conducted user tests at schools.
    • I created a system that deceives students’ sense of time to achieve both synchronous and asynchronous learning.
      • Based on the concept of Pseudo-Synchronization, I came up with the idea of Elastic Synchronization.
    • I experimented with communication in an environment where the boundary between synchronous and asynchronous is blurred.
  • 📺 Video of project presentation
• National Institute of Informatics Master of Informatics Program, 1st term - May 2020 to March 2021
  • After taking lectures on various topics such as Computational Theory, Machine Learning, Image Processing, Database, Robotics, and HCI, I conducted research on video summarization using Saliency.

Capabilities and Goals §

• Development of experimental systems
  • Due to my experience in developing various platforms and technologies, I can contribute to a wide range of projects.
    • Specifically, I have experience in development using various technologies, including:
      • Languages such as Swift, Kotlin, Java, Typescript, C++, Ruby, etc.
      • Frontend technologies such as iOS, Android, Web (React), Unity, etc.
      • Backend technologies such as Firebase, MySQL, GCP (Compute Engine), MongoDB, etc.
      • Libraries such as OpenCV, Tensorflow, PyTorch, etc.
  • I have experience in developing and operating experimental systems for user testing during the Exploratory IT Human Resources Project and VR research during high school.
  • Even for technologies I haven’t experienced before, I will catch up before the start of the internship.
• “Research through experience” cycle
  • From what I have heard in the lecture videos, it seems that my interest aligns well with Exploring New Models through Implementation.
  • By actually participating in research, I hope to absorb the thought process and practical knowledge in this cycle.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would be grateful if you could consider my application.