A Warm Digital Welcome: How LarkXR Powers CityUHK (Dongguan)’s AI Campus Assistant
The Challenge: Simplifying the Freshman Journey
Welcoming a new class of students involves complex logistics—long queues, extensive paperwork, and information overload. Traditional orientation methods often struggle to provide timely, personalized support, especially for international students facing language and cultural barriers. CityUHK (DG) needed a solution that was both innovative and inclusive.
A Highlight of Innovation: The 2025 “Light Up” Admission Package
The university’s commitment to a novel student experience begins the moment admission offers are received. The 2025 undergraduate admission package, titled “Light Up,” is a heartfelt and unique welcome, featuring:
- A laser pointer that reveals a handwritten blessing from President Xue Yuan.
- Intricate 3D paper sculptures of iconic campus buildings.
- A symbolic “Songshan Tiger” mascot.
Most notably, the package prominently displays the QR code for the AI-Powered Campus Welcome Assistant, inviting students to say “Hello” and receive instant, intelligent assistance even before they arrive on campus.
The Innovation: Your 24/7 Campus Welcome Assistant
Students can easily access the AI Campus Welcome Assistant by scanning a QR code on campus or in their admission materials. This digital concierge is instantly accessible. By scanning a QR code found on campus signage or in their admission materials, students can connect with the Assistant directly via their smartphone browser—no app downloads or high-end devices required.
Under the Hood: Digital Humans Meet Cloud XR Streaming
Developed under the leadership of Associate Professor Cai Chengjun from CityUHK’s Computer Science Department, the Assistant represents a fusion of academic innovation and enterprises-grade cloud xr streaming technology.
Core Technical Support from Paraverse LarkXR:
- Cloud-Based Streaming Tech & Anytime Access: The high-fidelity 3D digital human and campus environment—developed in Unreal Engine—are fully rendered on cloud GPU clusters via LarkXR. This enables students to interact in real-time through web browsers or lightweight apps without downloading large applications or requiring high-end hardware.
- High-Fidelity Visual Experience: Modeled after President Li Juan, the digital human delivers a welcoming and authoritative presence. Leveraging LarkXR’s powerful rendering, the Assistant offers lifelike visuals and a rich knowledge base, ensuring an engaging and accurate user experience.
- Elastic Scalability & Reliability: The cloud platform dynamically allocates resources to handle traffic spikes during peak enrollment periods or campus events, guaranteeing smooth and uninterrupted service.
- Rapid Deployment & Integration: Standardized APIs and functional plugins from LarkXR enabled swift integration and launch, significantly accelerating time-to-market.
- Advanced Feature Set for Future Scenarios:
- Intelligent Voice Interaction: Real-time AI-powered voice dialogue enables natural communication with students.
- Audio/Video Data Channels: Facilitate gesture capture, expression synchronization, and support for virtual teaching and interactive scenarios.
- Built-in Live Streaming: Future upgrades will enable digital human broadcasts on global platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Zoom, creating device-agnostic interactive sessions for student engagement and information sharing.
Enhancing Student Experience: From Chaos to Confidence
- Personalized & Intelligent Support: It provides tailored guidance based on student profiles, from club recommendations to visa advice.
- 24/7 Availability: Real-time voice or text support is available anytime, reducing stress for jet-lagged or late-arriving students.
- Immersive Pre-Arrival Tours: Students can explore the campus remotely through virtual tours.
- Inclusive Multilingual Service: Support in multiple languages fosters a sense of belonging from day one.
