[ti:Robots Help US Students Take Part in Graduation Ceremony]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:01.08]Juili Kale was looking forward to receiving her master's degree at Arizona State University.
[00:10.52]She planned to invite her family living in India, to the United States for her graduation ceremony.
[00:22.00]But then, in March, the coronavirus pandemic ended those plans as schools nationwide closed to stop the spread.
[00:36.28]Kale's dream of spending time with family members on her big day came crashing down.
[00:45.84]Yet the graduation ceremony is taking place -- just not as she expected.
[00:54.44]University officials have turned to robots so Arizona State graduates
[01:01.68]and their families can take part in the event online.
[01:09.32]Cameras recorded images of Kale and about 140 other graduates online this month.
[01:20.12]They were wearing robes and mortar board caps.
[01:24.40]They took turns moving a robot at the university that held an eye-level display showing their face.
[01:36.04]With the help of the robot, they stepped forward to receive their diplomas and take pictures.
[01:46.64]The robots are from Double Robotics, a company based in Burlingame, California.
[01:57.72]Before the health crisis, they had been used to help people attend funerals
[02:04.84]and even marriage ceremonies without traveling.
[02:10.52]Sanjeev Khagram is dean of Arizona State's Thunderbird School of Global Management.
[02:21.48]He told the Reuters news agency the video – a "bittersweet" experience
[02:28.80]– was recorded and produced over two days.
[02:34.00]It may not have been ideal for the students, Khagram admitted.
[02:39.52]But, "we want to show that we did everything that we could to celebrate them."
[02:47.92]Kale planned to throw a ‘watch party' with her husband at home and her family in India.
[02:57.84]Getting used to the online experience was easy for Nancy Sierras Morales.
[03:05.96]"We have been able to adapt very quickly because we are used to being on a computer
[03:13.32]and on the phone almost like 24/7," the 22-year-old said.
[03:21.96]She said that, while it is not the best, it is "cool...to be like the first class ever to do this."
[03:32.60]When the crisis is over, the class of 2020 can do a real-life walk
[03:39.36]at any future graduation ceremony they choose.
[03:45.36]"I'm disappointed...," said 41-year-old Douglas Northcott.
[03:52.00]He is graduating with a master's degree in applied leadership and management.
[04:00.00]He called the online event with robots "creative."
[04:05.40]But he looked forward to the real thing.
[04:10.04]"And if anything, that makes it better, in that [it] is spread over two times rather than one."
[04:20.40]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM