Prof. Toko Sugiura has been a member of faculty with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Toyota College, since 1988. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electronic engineering from Mie University, in 1986 and 1988 and a Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Nagoya University, in 1999. From 2001 to 2002, he was a visiting researcher with Technical University of Munich, Walter Schottky Institute in Germany.He has been engaged in engineering education and creativity education using the RoboCup World Competition with autonomous mobile soccer robots since 2004. He believes that the RoboCup is one of the best teaching resources to confirm and understand practical knowledge supported by theory, and is working on teaching to develop everything such as machines, circuit design and programs, etc. In addition, the RoboCup is a valuable opportunity to enhance students' English proficiency and communication skills, as well as engineering skills, because they can discuss common topics in English with foreign students of the same age who have the same goals. Furthermore, in order to improve student presentation abilities, he gave them research themes related to off-campus classes and demonstrated at the venue.
He is committed to supporting the preparation of academic papers and video materials to qualify every year for the RoboCup World Competition, as well as making effort as the referee of the game and organizing committee during the competition. He was an Organizing Committee Chair of the RoboCup Federation Soccer Small Size League from 2013 to 2015. He should be respected for his dedicated support from early morning to late night. His achievements are reflected in the large number of first and second places at the RoboCup domestic competition, and one third place and two fourth finishes at the RoboCup world competition. He also holds off-campus classes for elementary and junior high school students and the general public, and is widely involved in public relations activities regarding the usefulness of AI and robots.
For these achievements, Prof. Sugiura was a recipient of the Promotion Foundation for Electrical Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in 2016, the Administrative Director Award of National Institute of Technology in 2012, the Robotics Society Award of Japan for RoboCup Soccer Small Size Humanoid League in 2010, and also the Achievement Award of the Japanese Society for Engineering Education in 2006.
His educational activities are based on a strong conviction that he wants to develop an understanding of theory in the light of actual manufacturing. Through public relations activities in this field, he greatly contributes to the spread and development at other universities and KOSENs, similarly to how he creates a creative mind and interest in students. Based on the above activities, Prof. Toko Sugiura is fully qualified for the IEICE Distinguished Educational Practitioners Award.
