Robots Replace Japanese Students at Graduation Amid Coronavirus

The robots, dubbed "Newme" by developer ANA Holdings, were dressed in graduation caps and gowns for the ceremony.

Robots Replace Japanese Students at Graduation Amid Coronavirus

BBT President Kenichi Ohmae poses with iPads attached to 'newme' robots

Highlights
  • Graduation ceremonies in Japan have been cancelled
  • However, students at one school were able to attend remotely
  • The robots are called "Newme"
Advertisement

Spring graduation ceremonies in Japan have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but students at one school were able to attend remotely by controlling avatar robots while logged on at home.

The robots, dubbed "Newme" by developer ANA Holdings, were dressed in graduation caps and gowns for the ceremony at the Business Breakthrough University in Tokyo.

The robots' "faces" were tablets that displayed the faces of the graduates, who logged on at home and controlled the robots via their laptops.

One by one, the robots motored toward the podium to receive their diplomas. School staff clapped and said "congratulations!" as University President Kenichi Ohmae placed the diplomas on a rack mounted on the robot's midsection.

"I think this is truly a novel experience to receive a certificate in a public area while I am in a private space," Kazuki Tamura said via his computer avatar when receiving his master's degree diploma.

The university hopes its approach can be adopted by other schools looking to avoid mass gatherings.

Reflecting the human world, however, the school limited the ceremony to just four graduates so that the robots could practice social distancing amid the pandemic.

© Thomson Reuters 2020

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Newme, Coronavirus, Japan
Nokia 3.2 Starts Receiving Android 10 Update With March Security Patch
Online Food Delivery Executives Unable to Meet Targets Due to Virus Lockdown
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »