Make robots smarter - Ayanna Howard

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Zhimin Lin 校对人员: Yiwen Xu

So how many of you have a robot at home?

这里有多少人家里有机器人？

OK, I see about 20, 30 hands.

好的，大约有20、30个人举手，

That's actually pretty good.

这还是相当不错的。

How many of you would want your own personal robot at home?

那有多少人希望家里有台个人机器人？

I know I would!

我也想要。

OK, so why doesn't this exist?

好，那为什么我们没有呢？

Why can't I go to the convenience store or the department store and, you know,

为什么我不能直接到一个便利店或者百货商场的柜台说

go up to the cashier and say, "Yeah, I want my personal robot"?

“我想要我的个人机器人”？

Well, I'm going to talk to you about how to make that happen.

让我告诉你们如何实现这件事。

The thing that we need to do is to make robots smarter.

我们需要让机器人更智能。

Now, no one will argue that we don't have robots.

没人会争辩说我们没有机器人，

We have rovers that are going to Mars and are getting science data

我们有在火星上有探测车， 它们收集科学数据

and expanding our understanding of the world.

并拓宽我们对世界的了解；

We have manufacturing robots

我们有帮助我们生产汽车的制造机器人；

that are helping to build our cars that we drive today.

We even have robots that are helping our military,

我们甚至用机器人协助军队拆除炸弹，

that are out disposing of bombs

so our soldiers can come home safely.

使我们的战士得以平安归来。

So we have all this, so why don't we have the personal robot?

既然如此， 为什么我们没有个人机器人呢？

Why don't I have my robot chef? Because I can't cook.

为什么我没有机器厨师？我可不会做饭。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So, here's one of my robots, this is a simple walking robot,

这是我的一个机器人，一个简单的行走机器人，

but it is by no means smart.

但无论如何它都谈不上智能。

And so, what we need to do is

所以我们要做的是

we need to change the definition of what a robot is.

我们要改变对机器人的定义。

How do we do that? Well, the first step,

我们怎么做到这一点呢？

before we even start designing and getting our hands dirty,

首先，在我们开始动手设计之前，

we have to come up with rules, kind of the laws, rules of conduct.

我们必须制定规则，规范行为的准则。

And why is this? Because if these robots are smart,

为什么？因为如果这些机器人是智能的，

they might be capable of more than we want.

它们的能力可能超出我们的设想。

And so we have to come up with rules.

因此我们必须制定规则。

Thou, robot, shall not harm a human.

你，机器人，不得伤害人类。

Thou shall obey me, and only me.

你必须服从且只服从于我。

Thou shall always protect me at all possible times.

你在任何时候都必须保护我。

So we have to lay the boundaries, the rules of engagement,

在我们真正开始设计前，

我们必须制定它的职责范围，规则条约。

before we actually start designing.

And then we have to come up with tools.

接下来我们要寻找方法。

So I believe that the way to make robots smarter

我相信让机器人更加智能的办法

is to mimic people.

是模仿人类。

Now, our brains are complex, there's a lot going on in there,

我们的大脑很复杂，时刻有大量活动在进行，

and so, it'd be hard to try to open up the brain

所以试图直接打开它

and actually figure out how to mimic humans.

来研究如何模仿人类会非常困难。

The best way is to observe, is to actually watch people do things,

最好的办法是观察，是通过看人们做事

and figure out what are they doing, what are their thoughts,

来搞清楚他们在做什么，在想什么，

what are their actions, what are their emotions?

他们的动作和感情。

And so, part of making robots smarter is actually trying to mimic humans,

因此让机器人变得更智能的一部分 就是尽量模仿人类，

mimic how we do things,

模仿我们如何处理事情，

so maybe they can do it a little bit better.

于是它们或许能做得稍好一些。

And so, some of the tools are varied.

其中有一些方法不尽相同。

And so, I'm classically trained as an electrical engineer.

我是一个受过典型训练的电气工程师，

I never thought I'd have to understand things like child psychology,

我从未想过我会需要弄懂 诸如儿童心理学

infant development.

和婴儿的发展这类问题。

So, understanding that the way infants develop to children,

了解婴儿成长为儿童和成人的过程

develop to adults, and how they learn and interact

以及他们学习和互动的方法

is actually important for robotics.

对机器人学来说是至关重要的。

I didn't understand that I'd actually have to watch

我不懂这些，所以我其实需要观看 猴子们互动和交流的录像，

tapes of monkeys interacting and communicating,

because they have a whole social kind of mechanism

因为它们拥有一套完整的社交机制，

where they learn from each other,

从中它们相互学习，

and so that's really good to make robots smarter.

这对提升机器人的智能水平很有好处。

And, of course, neuroscience,

当然，还有神经科学，

I've always been fascinated with neuroscience,

我一直都为神经科学所着迷，

but I never understood that I had to figure out

但我从来没有弄懂过，于是我必须搞懂

why do the neurons fire,

为什么神经细胞产生信号？

环境如何帮助我们学习？

what about the environment helps us to learn,

and all of those really contribute to making robots a little bit smarter.

这一切都能切实地使机器人稍微更智能一点。

And so, some of the things that I do -- and this is just a little snapshot --

还有几个我非常想提到的方面 ——我只是简单带过，

one of the things is mirroring.

其中之一关于镜像。

So they say our ability to look in a mirror and wave

据说我们在镜子或水面中

and actually recognize that the person on the other side is us,

看到自己的镜像并识别出那是自我的能力，

that self-awareness,

那种自我意识，

is a sign of intelligence,

是智慧的一个标志。

and that allows us to then look at someone pitch a ball

这让我们能够看一个人投球，

and figure out, "OK, I know how to pitch a ball,

然后领悟到 “我知道怎么投球，”

I'm going to mirror their improvement."

“我要模仿他们的进步。”

And so I actually have a robot

我其实有个机器人，

where we are trying to design a robot health coach.

我们正在尽力设计一个机器健康教练。

And so, I have an exercise physiologist

我请一位运动生理学家

showing the robot how to do some exercises.

向机器人展示如何做一些锻炼，

You know, we want to get strong.

我们都想变得强壮。

And then, the other thing is learning.

另外一个方面是学习。

So, learning is important. We do this as children,

学习很重要，我们童年时学习，

we do this even as adults, we do this as elder.

甚至长大了也学习，变老后还在学习。

And yet, one form of learning is muscle memory.

但是有一种学习方式是肌肉记忆。

So how many of you play an instrument?

你们有多少人演奏一种乐器？

OK, so when you start off, for example, if you think about the violin,

好的，比如说小提琴，当你刚开始学的时候，

you start off and your instructor might actually come

你的老师可能会在身边

and move your hand a little bit or maybe move your bow a little bit up.

纠正一下你的手或者把你的肘部抬高一点。

So they actually touch you in order to give you muscle memory.

他们动手纠正你来使你产生肌肉记忆，

这会帮助你逐步提高。

And that helps you understand how to do things a little better.

因此我们其实有一套学习的方法，

And so we actually have a learning methodology

where of course, we're not going to take the motors and move the legs,

当然我们不会动手纠正电机和机械腿，

and so we have to Nunchuk to give our robot muscle memory

所以我们需要用控制器来 让机器人产生肌肉记忆，

in terms of how to do dance moves.

比如如何跳舞。

And then, lastly, is creativity.

最后一点，创造力。

So, you might ask, "Robots? Creativity? I don't get this.

你或许会问 “机器人？创造力？我不明白。

Why does the robot have to be creative? What about creativity makes them smarter?"

为什么机器人有创造性？ 创造力又怎么让它们更智能呢？

Well, creativity and imagination,

创造力和想象力，

those are the things that allow us to create problems

这是让我们在不知所措时

when we don't know how to attack it.

能够提出问题的因素。

They allow us to make something out of nothing.

它们使我们得以实现从无到有，

I mean, if you look at the apps that at out there and the tablets,

我的意思是，如果你看看那些应用以及平板电脑、

and the iPads, and the iPhones, and the Androids --

iPad、iPhone、安卓——

20 years ago they didn't exist.

20年前这些都不存在。

So, how is it that we got from something where there was nothing and expanded?

所以说，我们是如何从无到有和不断发展的呢？

It was our imagination. It was our creativity.

是我们的想象力。是我们的创造力。

And these are the things that allow us to figure out new things.

这些能力让我们创造出新事物。

And so, I have a robot that is creative,

所以如果我有一个有创造力的机器人，

it plays piano, is a composer,

它就能弹钢琴，能作曲，

and if you listen, it plays "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

你能听它弹“一闪一闪亮星星”。

(Music)

（音乐）

So, all of this together,

于是所有这一切，

the last thing is interaction.

最后一点是交互。

So, you have a robot, you want it to be your playmate,

设想你有一个机器人， 你想让它成为你的玩伴、

your teacher, your instructor,

你的老师、你的导师，

you want it to interact.

你想让他（与你）互动。

And isn't it so cute?

这很可爱吧？

(Laughter)

So, interaction is key,

因此，交互是让机器人理解 如何在我们的世界中与我们相处的关键

it is key to understanding how to work in our world with us,

and so the interaction piece is very important.

所以交互因素是非常重要的。

It deals with communication, it deals with understanding,

它处理沟通、理解、

it deals with gaze, it deals with attention.

眼神和注意力。

All of these things together allow that interaction

这些方面一起使交互和我们的机器人变得更加智能。

and our robots to be smart.

And so these are just some of the tools

这些只是所有我们用来增强机器人智能的方法的一部分。

that we use in order to make robots smarter.

So, I want to leave you with one thought.

最后，我想给你们留下一个问题。

So, I'm all for robots and smart robots.

我为机器人和智能机器人投入一切，

I mean, that's what I do,

我是说，这是我的工作，

I'd be out of a job if I didn't believe in that.

如果我不相信它我就要失业了。

But yet, where does it end?

但是结局会是怎样的呢？

How far do we push it?

我们应该做到什么程度呢？

How far and how smart should we make our smart robots?

我们应该走多远， 应该赋予我们的机器人多强大的智能呢？

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)