Business Breakthrough (BBT) Dean Kenichi Ohmae poses with iPads attached to "Newme" robots replacing graduating students at a ceremony, in Tokyo, Japan, March 28, 2020.
Business Breakthrough (BBT) University in Tokyo held a graduation ceremony for students in late March using avatar robots remotely controlled by graduating students from their homes.
The avatar robots, dubbed "Newme," by developer ANA Holdings, were dressed in the standard graduation caps and gowns for the ceremony, complete with tablets projecting the graduates faces.
The ceremony was held for only four graduating students in order to avoid a "large gathering" of sorts during the current outbreak, according to BBTs press release. Nevertheless, university staff and an entourage of media were still present during the ceremony.
"I think this is truly a novel experience to receive a certificate in a public area while I am in a private space," said Kazuki Tamura via his avatar when receiving his masters degree diploma.
The university said it hopes their innovative approach would become a model for schools across the country looking to avoid mass gatherings.
As confirmed coronavirus cases across the country climb, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday (April 7) declared a state of emergency for the capital, Tokyo, and six other prefectures for a period of about one month.
(Source: Reuters)
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