Digital avatars to ‘mixed reality’ tech: IITs’ convocation during Covid-19

From digital avatars of students receiving degrees on a virtual stage to using ‘mixed reality’ technology, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are merging real and digital to ensure they do not miss their convocation ceremonies because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IIT-Madras is holding a unique and a first-of-its-kind convocation using “mixed reality” (MR) where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in realtime. MR is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualisations.

“We are conducting the 57th convocation of the institute using the technology where the real and virtual are mixed to provide an online virtual experience for viewers,” IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi told PTI.