A London university will start employing ‘hologram lecturers’ after successfully using a projection based technology to beam remote speakers into a live event.
Imperial College Business School’s Edtech Lab adapted technology developed by AHRT Media (a self-proclaimed world leader in holographic telepresence) for an event called ‘Women in Tech: The Inside Story”. The event, shown in the video above, included guest speakers from Los Angeles, New York and London.
The university says it will continue to use the technology to beam in faculty and guest speakers to present to students in real time, from studios across the world.
Speakers appear life size and 3D and can engage with the audience. A camera link allows them to see the students and take questions.
Imperial College Business School also intends to host lectures in multiple locations simultaneously, as well as deploying the technology for discussion panels and round-table events that mix local and remote participants.
In an article on the Imperial College website, Dr David Lefevre, director of the Edtech Lab at Imperial College Business School, said: “Introducing hologram technology to the classroom will break down the limitations of traditional teaching by creating an interactive experience that benefits both students and academics.
“Rather than replacing or reducing real-life lectures, the hologram technology will provide greater flexibility for academics by enabling them to continue teaching whilst travelling, ensuring consistency and quality for students. The technology will also widen the scope for Imperial to invite global leaders and influencers from industry to give talks to students, therefore enriching the learning experience.”
In the same article, Professor Francisco Veloso, dean of Imperial College Business School, said: “Investing in new technology is a vital part of our strategy to create more flexible and inspiring learning experiences for our students. Being part of Imperial College London, we are keen to grow our digital visibility as a business school and the new hologram represents the pioneering work our Edtech Lab is undertaking in this area.”