Robots replace students in Japanese graduation ceremony dressed in black graduation gowns and caps

While many students are facing the reality of their graduations being cancelled or postponed, Japanese university graduates are celebrating in style... from their living rooms.

Business Breakthrough (BBT) University graduate students in Tokyo, who weren't allowed to have a traditional graduation ceremony due to coronavirus concerns, have used Newme telepresence robots to stand in their place.

The students appeared on tablets that were placed over the robots' 'faces', using a Zoom conference call to access the ceremony remotely.

To ensure that the students would be properly attired for their important ceremonies, the robots were dressed in black graduation gowns and caps.

When a graduate's name was called, the avatar robot moved to the university's president, Omae Kenichi, who stood on stage to receive their diploma, much like a more traditional graduation ceremony.

One of the unnamed students said in a statement on March 31, "When I enrolled, I never thought I would operate my avatar and attend the graduation ceremony. However, receiving a diploma in public is a novel experience."

Newme robots have also helped people with debilitating paralysis to return to the workplace as robot waiters in Japanese cafes, proving that the potential for these technologies really is limitless.