Shape-shifting tech will change work as we know it | Sean Follmer

翻译人员: Chuankai Lai 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

We've evolved with tools, and tools have evolved with us.

人类发明了工具，工具也影响着人类。

Our ancestors created these hand axes 1.5 million years ago,

1500万年前， 我们的祖先创造了这些掌上刀具，

shaping them to not only fit the task at hand

它们被打磨得不仅适用于手工活计，

but also their hand.

也十分小巧，方便单手操控。

However, over the years,

然而，随着时间的流逝，

tools have become more and more specialized.

工具变得越来越专业化。

These sculpting tools have evolved through their use,

这些雕刻工具根据人们的需要不断改变着，

and each one has a different form which matches its function.

每一种都有与它们的作用相对应的形状。

And they leverage the dexterity of our hands

它们提高了我们双手的灵活性，

in order to manipulate things with much more precision.

使得我们在操纵物品时更加精确。

But as tools have become more and more complex,

但是当工具变得越来越复杂的同时，

we need more complex controls to control them.

控制它们的方式也变得越来越复杂。

And so designers have become very adept at creating interfaces

因此当今设计师们致力于 开发一些交互方式，

that allow you to manipulate parameters while you're attending to other things,

使你在做一件事的同时 还能调整其他功能，

such as taking a photograph and changing the focus

比如你在照相的同时 还可以调整焦距

or the aperture.

或调整光圈。

But the computer has fundamentally changed the way we think about tools

但是计算机的出现 从根本上改变了我们对工具的认识，

because computation is dynamic.

因为它的计算功能十分强大。

So it can do a million different things

它可以做各种不同的事情，

and run a million different applications.

也可以运行数量繁多的应用程序。

However, computers have the same static physical form

然而计算机有着它固定的外形，

for all of these different applications

这个外形不会因为运行不同的程序而改变，

and the same static interface elements as well.

并且，它和人交互的方式也是不变的。

And I believe that this is fundamentally a problem,

我认为这本身就是一个问题，

because it doesn't really allow us to interact with our hands

因为这样一来我们就无法用双手 去参与和计算机交互的过程，

and capture the rich dexterity that we have in our bodies.

无法体现人体的灵活性。

And my belief is that, then, we must need new types of interfaces

我的理念是， 一定要开发一些新的交互方式，

that can capture these rich abilities that we have

能利用人体的这些优秀特性，

and that can physically adapt to us

能完全适应我们的需要，

and allow us to interact in new ways.

还能以新的方式与我们互动。

这就是我之前一直在 MIT媒体实验室，

And so that's what I've been doing at the MIT Media Lab

and now at Stanford.

以及现在在斯坦福从事的工作。

So with my colleagues, Daniel Leithinger and Hiroshi Ishii,

我和我的同事， Daniel Leithinger 和 Hiroshi Ishii，

we created inFORM,

我们一起创造了 inFORM，

where the interface can actually come off the screen

它让交互界面真正意义上脱离了屏幕，

and you can physically manipulate it.

你可以亲手操控它。

Or you can visualize 3D information physically

你也可以亲眼目睹它的3D形态，

and touch it and feel it to understand it in new ways.

并且触摸它感知它， 以全新的方式了解它。

Or you can interact through gestures and direct deformations

你还可以通过手势 直接改变它的形状与它互动，

to sculpt digital clay.

塑造一个数码模型。

Or interface elements can arise out of the surface

组成界面的配件能够从其表面升起，

and change on demand.

根据需求变形。

And the idea is that for each individual application,

这样设计的目的是，对每个应用，

the physical form can be matched to the application.

这个界面的外形都可以与这个应用相匹配。

And I believe this represents a new way

我相信这代表了一种全新的

that we can interact with information,

我们与信息互动的方式，

by making it physical.

也就是把它具体化。

So the question is, how can we use this?

现在问题来了，我们如何应用它呢？

Traditionally, urban planners and architects build physical models

一直以来，城建工作者靠实物模型

of cities and buildings to better understand them.

来更好的了解城市和建筑的布局。

So with Tony Tang at the Media Lab, we created an interface built on inFORM

因此，我们与媒体实验室的Tony Tang一起 创造了一个建立在inFORM上的界面，

to allow urban planners to design and view entire cities.

使得城市规划者们得以设计和展望整个城市。

And now you can walk around it, but it's dynamic, it's physical,

所以现在你可以在它周边走动， 但是它是动态的，是实体的

and you can also interact directly.

你还能直接跟它互动。

Or you can look at different views,

你可以从不同的视角观察它，

such as population or traffic information,

比如人口数量或者交通信息，

but it's made physical.

但是它被做成了一个实体。

We also believe that these dynamic shape displays can really change

我们还相信这些动态形状的展示 会真正改变

the ways that we remotely collaborate with people.

人们远程合作的方式。

So when we're working together in person,

当我们面对面工作时，

I'm not only looking at your face

我不仅可以看着你的脸，

but I'm also gesturing and manipulating objects,

我还可以比划和操纵物品，

and that's really hard to do when you're using tools like Skype.

这正是我们利用 像Skype这样的工具时非常难实现的。

And so using inFORM, you can reach out from the screen

当使用inFORM时， 你可以触及屏幕以外的东西，

and manipulate things at a distance.

并且在远距离操控物品。

So we used the pins of the display to represent people's hands,

这些小方块的移动 代表了人类双手的动作，

allowing them to actually touch and manipulate objects at a distance.

使得人们能够真正远程触碰和操作物品。

And you can also manipulate and collaborate on 3D data sets as well,

你也可以在3D模型上操作或与人合作，

so you can gesture around them as well as manipulate them.

你可以对它们做手势，也可以摆弄它们。

And that allows people to collaborate on these new types of 3D information

这就让人们可以用比传统工具更多元的方式

in a richer way than might be possible with traditional tools.

实现在这种新型3D信息上的合作。

And so you can also bring in existing objects,

你还可以在上面放置一些物品，

and those will be captured on one side and transmitted to the other.

它们会在一边被识别出来， 然后把信息传输到另一边。

Or you can have an object that's linked between two places,

或者你让一件东西两边连通，

so as I move a ball on one side,

比如，我在一边移动一个球，

the ball moves on the other as well.

这个球会在另一边也移动起来。

And so we do this by capturing the remote user

我们通过捕捉操作者的动作来实现这些，

using a depth-sensing camera like a Microsoft Kinect.

而这由一个可感测空间深度的摄像机完成， 类似微软的Kinect。

Now, you might be wondering how does this all work,

现在你也许想知道这一切是如何运作的，

and essentially, what it is, is 900 linear actuators

本质上来说，它是把900个线性传动器

that are connected to these mechanical linkages

全部连通到这些机械联动装置上，

that allow motion down here to be propagated in these pins above.

好让下面的动作能被传送到 上面的这些方块上来。

So it's not that complex compared to what's going on at CERN,

所以跟CERN做的事情比起来， 它其实没有那么复杂，

but it did take a long time for us to build it.

但是我们把它做出来确实花费了不少时间。

And so we started with a single motor,

我们先做出了一个单独的马达，

a single linear actuator,

一个线性传动器，

and then we had to design a custom circuit board to control them.

然后定制了一个电路板来控制它们。

剩下的就是我们需要做很多同样的装置。

And then we had to make a lot of them.

And so the problem with having 900 of something

问题是，当你需要做900件相同的东西时，

is that you have to do every step 900 times.

你要重复每个制作步骤900次。

And so that meant that we had a lot of work to do.

这意味着我们有大量的工作要做。

So we sort of set up a mini-sweatshop in the Media Lab

因此，我们在媒体实验室 建立了一个小型的“血汗工厂”，

and brought undergrads in and convinced them to do "research" --

招募了一些本科生， 并说服他们这是在参与“研究”——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

and had late nights watching movies, eating pizza

之后便有了在深夜 看着电影，吃着披萨，

and screwing in thousands of screws.

拧着成千上万的螺丝的场景。

You know -- research.

你们懂的，搞研究嘛。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But anyway, I think that we were really excited by the things

但不管怎样，我们都对inFORM能够带来的

that inFORM allowed us to do.

各种可能性感到十分激动。

Increasingly, we're using mobile devices, and we interact on the go.

如今，我们越来越多地使用移动设备， 便于出行时交流。

But mobile devices, just like computers,

然而移动设备，就像电脑，

are used for so many different applications.

有很多种不同的用途。

So you use them to talk on the phone,

你可以用它们打电话，

to surf the web, to play games, to take pictures

上网，玩游戏，照相，

or even a million different things.

甚至更多不同的事。

But again, they have the same static physical form

但就如之前我提过的， 它们都有相同的外形，

for each of these applications.

对每一个不同的应用来讲都一样。

And so we wanted to know how can we take some of the same interactions

所以，我们想知道如何能将这些

that we developed for inFORM

为inFORM研发的交互行为

and bring them to mobile devices.

推广到移动设备上。

So at Stanford, we created this haptic edge display,

因此在斯坦福， 我们创造了一个触觉边缘显示器。

which is a mobile device with an array of linear actuators

它是一个有着一排线性传动器的手机，

that can change shape,

这排传动器可以改变形状，

so you can feel in your hand where you are as you're reading a book.

当你用手机阅读时可以通过感受 它的形状变化了解自己读到哪里了。

Or you can feel in your pocket new types of tactile sensations

它放在口袋里时，你也可以感受到这种新的

that are richer than the vibration.

比单纯震动更丰富的触感。

Or buttons can emerge from the side that allow you to interact

为方便操作，按钮会从侧面浮出，

where you want them to be.

你可以指定它们的位置。

Or you can play games and have actual buttons.

你也可以在玩游戏时拥有真正的按钮了。

And so we were able to do this

这些能够实现是通过

by embedding 40 small, tiny linear actuators inside the device,

在显示器内嵌入40个微型线性传动器，

and that allow you not only to touch them

让操作者不仅能触摸按钮，

but also back-drive them as well.

还能反向操纵它们。

But we've also looked at other ways to create more complex shape change.

为了创造更复杂的形状变化， 我们还研究了其他方式。

So we've used pneumatic actuation to create a morphing device

我们使用气动装置创造了一个变体设备，

where you can go from something that looks a lot like a phone ...

使用时可以把它弄成一个电话的形状，

to a wristband on the go.

也可以弄成一个腕带随身佩戴。

And so together with Ken Nakagaki at the Media Lab,

与媒体实验室的Ken Nakagaki一起，

we created this new high-resolution version

我们创造了这个新的，高精度的版本，

that uses an array of servomotors to change from interactive wristband

它内置一排伺服马达， 使得它可以从一个有交互功能的腕带

to a touch-input device

变成一个可触摸输入的设备。

to a phone.

再变成一个电话。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And we're also interested in looking at ways

我们还乐于尝试

that users can actually deform the interfaces

让用户能真正意义上改变界面的形态，

to shape them into the devices that they want to use.

把它们打造成自己想要的样子。

So you can make something like a game controller,

你可以把它捏成一个游戏手柄，

and then the system will understand what shape it's in

然后系统就会识别它当前的形态，

and change to that mode.

从而调整成相应的模式。

So, where does this point?

那么，我们这么做的意义何在呢？

How do we move forward from here?

这个创意的前景是什么？

I think, really, where we are today

我认为，我们当前所处的

is in this new age of the Internet of Things,

是一个“物联网”主导的新时代。

where we have computers everywhere --

计算机无处不在——

they're in our pockets, they're in our walls,

在我们口袋里，挂在墙上，

they're in almost every device that you'll buy in the next five years.

在未来五年之内几乎每个你会买的设备里。

But what if we stopped thinking about devices

但设想，如果我们暂且不考虑这些设备，

and think instead about environments?

去关心一下我们的环境呢？

And so how can we have smart furniture

我们如何设计出智能家具，

or smart rooms or smart environments

智能房间，智能的生活环境或城市，

or cities that can adapt to us physically,

能够完全适应我们实际的生活需求，

and allow us to do new ways of collaborating with people

允许我们以新的方式与他人交互合作，

and doing new types of tasks?

实现一些新的功能呢？

So for the Milan Design Week, we created TRANSFORM,

因此，在米兰设计周上， 我们展出了TRANSFORM，

which is an interactive table-scale version of these shape displays,

它是一个之前展示过的 可变交互界面的桌面版本，

which can move physical objects on the surface; for example,

它可以在其表面上移动物品，比如

reminding you to take your keys.

提醒你拿钥匙。

But it can also transform to fit different ways of interacting.

它也可以变形， 以便与你进行其他方式的交流。

So if you want to work,

比如，如果你要工作，

then it can change to sort of set up your work system.

它会将表面变形成你的工作台。

And so as you bring a device over,

你要拿一个设备过来时，

it creates all the affordances you need

它会设置一个你放设备要用的支撑物，

and brings other objects to help you accomplish those goals.

并且塑造一些其他东西帮助你完成工作。

So, in conclusion,

总的来说，

I really think that we need to think about a new, fundamentally different way

我真的认为我们要思考一种新的， 从根本意义上不同的

of interacting with computers.

与计算机互动的方式。

We need computers that can physically adapt to us

我们需要计算机完全的适应我们，

and adapt to the ways that we want to use them

而且是以我们期待的方式来适应我们，

and really harness the rich dexterity that we have of our hands,

真正利用我们双手丰富的灵巧度，

and our ability to think spatially about information by making it physical.

以及我们通过把信息实体化去看问题的能力。

But looking forward, I think we need to go beyond this, beyond devices,

但展望未来时，我认为 我们需要再跨越一步，跨越这些设备

to really think about new ways that we can bring people together,

去认真思考新的方式，我们可以集思广益，

and bring our information into the world,

把我们的想法传递给这个世界，

and think about smart environments that can adapt to us physically.

并且考虑如何创造一个 完全适应我们的智能环境，

So with that, I will leave you.

我的演讲结束了。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）