For the first time, students will receive their degrees through their animated avatars, as the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) will conduct its annual e-convocation ceremony via virtual reality mode on August 23. Students, family members and faculty can watch the live broadcast of the ceremony on DD Sahyadri channel on television, the institute’s official YouTube channel and social media pages on Sunday from 1.30pm.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the institute has decided to conduct the 58th annual convocation ceremony online. In order to enhance the experience, personalised animated avatars of students have been created, which can be accessed by students using a specialised mobile application.
P Sunthar, professor of IIT Bombay, said, "These 3D animated avatars, which look like particular students, have been designed to walk up to the stage and accept medals, awards or degrees virtually. The virtual avatars have been created from the photographs of students. Students can view this on the mobile application or desktop synchronised with the live telecast from their homes while their names are being called out in the virtual ceremony."
Check out the video:
In addition, every student’s photograph and name will be shown in the telecast when they receive their degree. At the end of the convocation, students will take a synchronised pledge from their respective homes. Sunthar added, "Every year, students physically visit the campus along with their family members. But this year, students can visit the campus virtually on the eve before the convocation, as they will be given access to a virtual campus tour, where they can visit hostels, departments, and other meeting points to meet and interact with friends, faculty and club members via online links."
A team of over 20 members have been working for more than 5,000 hours since the last 45 days to create these animated avatars and mobile application. Subhasis Chaudhuri, director of IIT Bombay, said, "It is the first time that an institute will conduct the convocation ceremony and confer degrees using such a technologically advanced virtual reality mode. The aim is to create a memorable experience for students, as we do not want to deprive them and their families of the sense of achievement and pride of passing out of India’s premier engineering institute. The ceremony will be broadcast on television so that it can reach people where internet facility is not available."
Over 2,174 students will graduate this year under various Bachelor, Master and PhD programmes from IIT Bombay. Duncan Haldane, co-recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, and a professor of physics at Princeton University will be the chief guest, while Stephen A Schwarzman, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, investor and philanthropist will be the guest of honour.
