Univ. uses robots to replace students during graduation ceremony

Univ. uses robots to replace students during graduation ceremony


A university in China has used robots to replace students who were under coronavirus isolation during their graduation ceremony.


Footage shows two droids dressed in caps and gowns 'walking' on a stage to have their tassels turned and receive diplomas on behalf of the graduates.


The bots each carried a tablet with cameras to allow the students to interact with the principal via video-conferencing.


The unconventional ceremony was held at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications in eastern China on May 22.


Over 1,500 master's and PhD students received their diplomas on that day.


A small group of the students were selected by the university to physically attend the graduation while another group of the graduates watched the ceremony in a separate venue through a screen.


Other students who were unable to travel due to the coronavirus were replaced by robots to celebrate their special day.


The droids were initially built by the university's robotics club to enter competitions.


The team of students spent nearly three weeks turning the robots into human-sized machine students.


'It was really memorable to attend my master's graduation this way,' a student told Pear Video.


It comes after another university in Japan has also used robots to stand in for the self-isolated students during a graduation in March.


Using Newme telepresensence robots, students attending Business Breakthrough (BBT) University in Tokyo were able to walk across the stage and accept their diploma.


The robots were dressed in a cap and gown and fitted with tablets on their heads, allowing students to show their face using Zoom.


Students who attended the graduation remotely operated the robots in what is deemed the 'world's first' online graduation ceremony.