Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, universities around the globe are observing cessation to all kinds of academics. Whilst adhering to all kinds of social distancing protocols, four students of a local university in Japan used robots to attend their graduation ceremony.
Governments all around the globe have urged people to remain indoors because of the deadly outspread of the virus. As per the World Health Organization (WHO) advice, the best way to prevent infection is by avoiding all kinds of peer to peer interactions.
Robotic graduation
The Business Breakthrough University (BBT), Japan used ‘newme’ robots in place of four students, who are currently in self-isolation. The rest of the graduating students used Zoom to attend the ceremony.
The photos of the ceremony are making rounds on the Internet depict that, the robots wore caps and gowns. Followed by Ipads attached to them. Moreover, the students used video conferencing to address to the University’s dean.
Business Breakthrough University (BBT) in japan held an online graduation ceremony for robots this year through robots.#COVIDー19
#COVID
#CoronaAlert pic.twitter.com/CDTlIH9tfj— KNIN カニン, タイ人です。?? (@kninsama) April 2, 2020
Professor Shugo Yanaka, Dean of Global Business Administration at the university, is responsible for the pioneering of this innovation, during such times of global pandemic.
He said, “While new coronavirus measures are required, the introduction of avatars can realize a warm online graduation ceremony. We hope this initiative will be helpful to educational institutions who are having difficulty holding graduation ceremonies and entrance ceremonies.”
Contrary to the four graduates, others joined the ceremony through Zoom. Whilst sending in comments to recreate the usual graduation sentiments.
Reshaping the use of technology
The newme robots were developed by ANA Holdings and featured a display screen that shows the faces of the four graduates, with “arms” designed to receive their certificates for the humans. Donned in graduation gowns, all the robots also wore motherboards, according to a report.
An innovation like this is one of several ways to make use of technology amid the global pandemic. Likewise, this can be a great aid in bridging the gap between, the benchmarks of our ordinary culture, with the currently existing state of affairs.
Image: BBT University
Similarly, late in March, a fourth-grader, on his 10th birthday, received birthday wishes from his classmates. Moreover, in 2018, 3 students of the University of Glasgow attended their graduation remotely, by attaching iPads to a remote-controlled car, with a graduation gown.
Owing to the global statistics, the Coronavirus has infected more than 1,000,000 people, along with 59,207 deaths
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