It can be viewed on YouTube (J)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxI_dgEd4Zw

The 20th Kisoi Motohiro Award Ceremony

On Saturday the 11th January 2025, International Rescue System Institute held the 20th Kisoi Motohiro Award Ceremony in Nagata-ku, Kobe, an area seriously damaged by the great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake 30 years before.

This year, the Kisoi Motohiro Award for Academic Achievement was awarded to Associate Professor Noritaka Satoh of Nagoya Institute of Technology. The Kisoi Motohiro Award for Technical Achievement was awarded to Specially Appointed Associate Professor Benjamin Yen of Institute of Science Tokyo.

These awards recognize Associate Prof. Satoh’s study of operation support and performance evaluation for disaster response robots, Specially Appointed Associate Prof. Yen’s study of actual device demonstration of active drone audition.

(Associate Prof. Satoh (Left) and Specially Appointed Associate Prof. Yen (Right) Given Award)

For the first time in 5 years, the awards for Medical Achievement and Psychological Achievement were also given.

The Kisoi Motohiro Award for Medical Achievement was awarded to Mr. Mototaka Inaba, the leader of ARROWS (Airborne Rescue & Relief Operations with Search), Peace Winds Japan (NPO). The Kisoi Motohiro Award for Psychological Achievement was presented to Associate Professor Hiromu Nagaura, Hokkaido University of Education.

These awards recognize Mr. Inaba’s contribution to lifesaving and enhancement of medical care system through international assistance activities of disaster response, Associate Prof. Nagaura’s study and practice of psychological education for stress and trauma on disaster.

(Mr. Inaba (Left) and Associate Prof. Nagaura (Right) Given Award)

(From the Left: IRS President Prof. Tadokoro, IRS Director Prof. Takamori, Associate Prof. Satoh, SA Associate Prof. Yen, Mr. Inaba, Associate Prof. Nagaura, IRS Vice President Prof. Matsuno, and Emeritus Prof. Asama)

The recipients of the Kisoi Motohiro Awards for each Achievement each received 100,000-yen prize money, a certificate and a commemorative trophy or shield, and presented by the selection committee members.

The recipients of the awards for encouragement, which focus on the younger generation, are as follows. “Tano-Robo” – Takaki Miyazato, Minagi Sumi, and Kyoshiro Takai received the Robocup Junior IRS award, “S.S.S.S.” – Yamato Okutani, Kouwa Akamatsu, Tomu Mizoe, Miya Kawamoto, Ayumu Tomeda, Kazuya Watarai, Ryuzo Baba, and Kohga Taira received the Rescue Robot Contest Award, and Hayato Matsuo, Nagoya Institute of Technology received the Award for the Study of Robotics. After the award ceremony, the winners gave a presentation about their research.

IEEE IROS 2024 Best Paper Award on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics in memory of Motohiro Kisoi was given to Wyatt Ubellacker and Aaron D. Ames of California Institute of Technology, USA. They received their award in October 2024 in Abu Dhabi, UAE and did not attend this ceremony in Japan.

(From the Left of the Back Row: IRS President Prof. Tadokoro, Prof. Suzuki of SICE Rescue Robotics Committee, IRS Vice President Prof. Matsuno, and IRS Director Prof. Takamori, Prof. Niimi of Rescue Robot Contest Executive Committee. The Front Row: Mr. Matsuo, Mr. Tomeda, Mr. Mizoe, Mr. Taira, Mr. Watarai, and Mr. Kondoh.)

Finally, each recipient of the Award for Academic, Technical, Medical and Physical Achievement gave talks on their fields of research and activities.

(Left: Associate Prof. Satoh / Right: Specially Appointed Associate Prof. Yen)

(Left: Mr. Inaba / Right: Associate Prof. Nagaura)

The ceremony closed with a warm applause for the highly acclaimed achievements in their respective fields.

(Speech by IRS Vice President, Prof. Matsuno)

(From the Left of the Back Row: Mr. Kondoh and Mr. Mizoe (Rescue Robot Contest Award), Mr. Matsuo (Award for the Study of Robotics), Mr. Tomeda, Mr. Watarai, and Mr. Taira (Rescue Robot Contest Award). From the Left of the Front Row: Mr. Inaba (Kisoi Motohiro Award for Medical Achievement), Associate Prof. Satoh (Kisoi Motohiro Award for Academic Achievement), SA Associate Prof. Yen (Kisoi Motohiro Award for Technical Achievement), and Associate Prof. Nagaura (Kisoi Motohiro Award for Psychological Achievement))