Researchers at MIT's Sloan School of Management have developed a new software platform for having private, on-the-spot conversations online. Called Minglr, the open source tool is designed to replicate the kinds of interactions people might have before and after meetings, in the lobby during breaks of conferences and around the office coffee machine, in a virtual environment. "By making these interactions possible online, systems like Minglr can further boost the desirability and feasibility of remote work, learning, and professional networking," the university said in a news announcement.
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2020/08/05/mit-develops-open-source-tool-to-support-spontaneous-online-conversations.aspx
