Lian Pin Koh: A drone's-eye view of conservation

翻译人员: Peipei Xiang 校对人员: xuan wang

When we think of Nepal,

想到尼泊尔，

we tend to think of the snow-capped mountains

我们总是想到冰雪覆盖的

of the Himalayas,

喜马拉雅山，

the crystal-clear still waters of its alpine lakes,

还有高山湖泊中水晶般透明而平静的湖水，

or the huge expanse of its grasslands.

又或是那它广袤的草原。

What some of us may not realize

但有些人也许没有意识到的是，

is that in the Himalayan foothills,

在喜马拉雅山山麓，

where the climate is much warmer

那里气候更加温暖，

and the landscape much greener,

有更多的绿地，

there lives a great diversity of wildlife,

那里生活着种类繁多的野生动物，

including the one-horned rhinoceros,

包括独角犀、

the Asian elephant

亚洲象

and the Bengal tiger.

和孟加拉虎。

But unfortunately, these animals

但不幸的是，这些野生动物

are under constant threat from poachers

一直以来都面临着偷猎者的威胁，

who hunt and kill them for their body parts.

这些偷猎者为了获取它们身体上的某一部分 而捕杀它们。

To stop the killing of these animals,

为了阻止这些偷猎行为，

battalions of soldiers and rangers

大量的士兵跟护林员

are sent to protect Nepal's national parks,

被派遣去保护尼泊尔的国家公园，

but that is not an easy task,

但这并不是一个轻松的任务，

because these soldiers have to patrol

因为这些士兵必须徒步

thousands of hectares of forests on foot

或者骑着大象

or elephant backs.

巡逻几千公顷的森林。

It is also risky for these soldiers

这也是一项危险的任务，

when they get into gunfights with poachers,

因为他们可能会与偷猎者交火，

and therefore Nepal is always looking

所以，尼泊尔一直在寻找

for new ways to help with protecting the forests

保护森林与野生动物的

and wildlife.

新方法。

Well recently, Nepal acquired a new tool

最近，尼泊尔获得了一样新工具

in the fight against wildlife crime,

用来对抗猎杀野生动物的罪行，

and these are drones,

这就是无人飞机，

or more specifically, conservation drones.

更确切地说，是环境保护无人机。

For about a year now, my colleagues and I

在大约一年的时间中，我和我的同事

have been building drones for Nepal

一直在为尼泊尔制造无人机，

and training the park protection personnel

并培训公园保卫人员

on the use of these drones.

如何使用这些无人机。

Not only does a drone give you

无人机并不仅仅

a bird's-eye view of the landscape,

给你鸟瞰的视野，

but it also allows you to capture detailed,

它也可以捕捉到地面上细微的

high-resolution images of objects on the ground.

高分辨率的物体的图像。

This, for example, is a pair of rhinoceros

例如，图中，炎热的夏天，

taking a cooling bath on a hot summer day

一对犀牛正在尼泊尔的一处低地沼泽中

in the lowlands of Nepal.

洗凉水澡。

Now we believe that drones have

我们相信，无人机具有

tremendous potential,

巨大的潜力，

not only for combating wildlife crime,

不只是用来对抗偷猎行为，

but also for monitoring the health

也可以用来监察野生动物

of these wildlife populations.

的健康状况。

So what is a drone?

那么，究竟什么是无人机？

Well, the kind of drone I'm talking about

我正在谈论的这种无人机

is simply a model aircraft

简单来讲就是一种

fitted with an autopilot system,

搭载了自动驾驶仪的飞行器，

and this autopilot unit contains a tiny computer,

这个自动驾驶仪包含了一个微型计算机，

a GPS, a compass, a barometric altimeter

一个全球定位系统，一个指南仪，一个气压高度计，

and a few other sensors.

以及一些其他的传感器。

Now a drone like this

一个像这样的无人机

is meant to carry a useful payload,

是用来载重有用的东西的，

such as a video camera

比如一个摄影机

or a photographic camera.

或者一个照相机。

It also requires a software that allows the user

同时也需要一个软件给使用者

to program a mission,

编写任务程序，

to tell the drone where to go.

来告诉无人机飞向哪里。

Now people I talk to are often surprised

当人们听到一架环境保护无人机

when they hear that these are the only

仅仅只有这四部分组成的时候，

four components that make a conservation drone,

他们总是很惊奇，

but they are even more surprised

但当我告诉他们这些部件的价格

when I tell them how affordable these components are.

并不是那么贵的时候，他们显得更加惊讶。

The facts is, a conservation drone

事实上，一架环境保护无人机

doesn't cost very much more than

并不会比一台好的笔记本电脑，

a good laptop computer

或者

or a decent pair of binoculars.

一个像样的双目望远镜更加昂贵。

So now that you've built your own conservation drone,

那么现在你已经制造了自己的无人机，

you probably want to go fly it,

你肯定想让它飞起来。

but how does one fly a drone?

但是如何使一架无人机飞起来呢？

Well, actually, you don't,

事实是，并不是你让它飞起来，

because the drone flies itself.

因为，无人机自己就可以飞。

All you have to do is to program a mission

你所需要做的仅仅是设定一个任务，

to tell the drone where to fly.

告诉无人机飞向哪里。

But you simply do that by clicking on

但是你只需要在Google地图上

a few way points on the Google Maps interface

用开源软件

using the open-source software.

点击一些路径点。

Those missions could be as simple

这些任务可以仅仅只是

as just a few way points,

简单的几个路径点，

or they could be slightly longer and more complicated,

或者他们可以更长一些更加复杂一些，

to fly along a river system.

比如沿着河流飞行。

Sometimes, we fly the drone in a lawnmower-type pattern

有时候，我们让无人机按照一个

and take pictures of that area,

除草机的路径飞行，为一片区域拍照，

and those pictures can be processed

这些图片可以被处理

to produce a map of that forest.

成为那片森林的地图。

Other researchers might want to fly the drone

其他的研究者，也许想要让无人机

along the boundaries of a forest

沿着森林的边界飞行，

to watch out for poachers or people

来阻止偷猎者或者

who might be trying to enter the forest illegally.

其他试图非法进入森林的人。

Now whatever your mission is,

不管你的目的是什么，

once you've programmed it,

一旦你设定了它，

you simply upload it to the autopilot system,

你只需要上传它到无人机的自动飞行系统，

bring your drone to the field,

把你的无人机带到空旷的地方，

and launch it simply by tossing it in the air.

把它掷向空中来使它起飞。

And often we'll go about this mission

我们经常让无人机

taking pictures or videos along the way,

沿途拍摄照片，录制录像，

and usually at that point,

通常这时候，

we will go grab ourselves a cup of coffee,

我们就会给自己一杯咖啡，

sit back, and relax for the next few minutes,

坐下，放松几分钟，

although some of us sit back and panic for the next few minutes

尽管也会有人坐下后开始担忧

worrying that the drone will not return.

无人机会不会安全返航。

Usually it does, and when it does,

通常它都能返航，

it even lands automatically.

它甚至可以自动着陆。

So what can we do with a conservation drone?

那么我们能用环境保护无人机做什么呢？

Well, when we built our first prototype drone,

当我们制造我们的第一架原型机时，

our main objective was to fly it over

我们的主要任务就是让它飞到

a remote rainforest in North Sumatra, Indonesia,

一片遥远的雨林，在印度尼西亚的北苏门答腊，

to look for the nest of a species of great ape

去寻找一种大型猿类，

known as the orangutan.

即红毛猩猩的巢穴。

The reason we wanted to do that was because

我们这样做是因为

we needed to know how many individuals

我们想知道在那片雨林中

of this species are still left in that forest.

还剩下多少只红毛猩猩。

Now the traditional method of surveying

通常传统的搜寻红毛猩猩的方法

for orangutans is to walk the forest on foot

是带上沉重的装备

carrying heavy equipment

徒步穿越雨林，

and to use a pair of binoculars to look up in the treetops

用双目望远镜在雨林顶端寻找，

where you might find an orangutan or its nest.

你可能会找到一只红毛猩猩，或者它的巢穴。

Now as you can imagine,

你可以想象

that is a very time-consuming, labor-intensive,

这是一件多么耗费时间，耗费人力，

and costly process,

多么昂贵的工程，

so we were hoping that drones

所以我们希望无人机

could significantly reduce the cost of surveying

能够极大地减少统计

for orangutan populations in Indonesia

在印度尼西亚和在其他东南亚地区的

and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

红毛猩猩的数量的成本。

So we were very excited when we captured

所以当我们用相机找到第一对红毛猩猩巢穴的时候，

our first pair of orangutan nests on camera.

我们非常兴奋。

And this is it; this is the first ever picture

这就是那张照片，第一张用无人机拍摄的

of orangutan nests taken with a drone.

红毛猩猩巢穴的照片。

Since then we have taken pictures

我们在东南亚的不同地方

of dozens of these nests

都拍到了很多

from around various parts of Southeast Asia,

这样的巢穴的照片，

and we're now working with computer scientists

现在我们正和计算机科学家们

to develop algorithms that can automatically count

一起开发计算方法，

the number of nests from the thousands

用我们已有的数千张照片自动计算

of photos we've collected so far.

巢穴的数量。

But nests are not the only objects

但是，红毛猩猩巢穴，不是

these drones can detect.

无人机可以侦测到的唯一的东西。

This is a wild orangutan

这是一个野生红毛猩猩

happily feeding on top of a palm tree,

在一棵棕榈树顶开心地进食，

seemingly oblivious to our drone that was flying overhead,

完全没有察觉到我们的无人机正飞行在它的头顶，

not once but several times.

不是一次，而是很多次。

We've also taken pictures of other animals

我们也拍摄了很多其他动物的照片，

including forest buffalos in Gabon,

包括在加蓬的森林水牛，

elephants, and even turtle nests.

大象，甚至乌龟巢。

But besides taking pictures of just the animals themselves,

但是除了拍摄野生动物的照片，

we also take pictures of the habitats these animals live in,

我们也拍摄它们的栖息地，

because we want to keep track

因为我们想要跟踪

of the health of these habitats.

这些栖息地的生态状况。

Sometimes, we zoom out a little

有时候，我们会把画面缩小

and look at other things that might be happening

来观察整个大环境

in the landscape.

是否正在发生变化。

This is an oil palm plantation in Sumatra.

这是一片苏门答腊的油棕榈种植园。

Now oil palm is a major driver of deforestation

现在，在苏门答腊，油棕榈种植

in that part of the world,

是滥伐森林的主要推动力，

so we wanted to use this new drone technology

所以我们想要用这种新的无人机技术

to keep track of the spread of these plantations

跟踪这些种植园

in Southeast Asia.

在东南亚的扩散。

But drones could also be used to keep track of

无人机也可以被用于跟踪

illegal logging activities.

非法的木材砍伐。

This is a recently logged forest,

这是一张被最近刚砍伐过的森林的照片，

again in Sumatra.

也是在苏门答腊。

You could even still see the processed

你甚至还可以看到

wooden planks left on the ground.

留在地上的被处理过的木板。

But perhaps the most exciting part

但是在空中拍照

about taking pictures from the air is

最激动人心的也许是，

we could later stitch these pictures together

后期我们可以用特殊的软件把这些照片

using special software to create a map

拼合在一起，来制造一张全景地图，

of the entire landscape, and this map

这张地图

gives us crucial information

可以给我们提供

for monitoring land use change,

监测土地使用状况的关键信息，

to let us know where and when plantations might be expanding,

让我们知道何时何地种植园也许正在扩张，

where forests might be contracting,

哪里森林也许正在收缩，

or where fires might be breaking out.

哪里也许有火灾。

Aerial images could also be processed

这些航空图片

to produce three-dimensional

也可以被制作成森林的

computer models of forests.

三维电脑模型。

Now these models are not just visually appealing,

这些模型不仅仅在视觉上吸引人，

but they are also geometrically accurate,

它们也非常精确，

which means researchers can now measure

这就意味着，研究者们可以测量

the distance between trees,

树木之间的距离，

calculate surface area, the volume of vegetation,

计算表面积，植被体积等等，

and so on, all of which are important information

这些都是非常重要的数据，

for monitoring the health of these forests.

可以用来监测这些森林的生态状况。

Recently, we've also begun experimenting

最近，我们也开始了

with thermal imaging cameras.

热成像相机的试验。

Now these cameras can detect

这些相机可以检测

heat-emitting objects from the ground,

地面上的热源物体，

and therefore they are very useful for detecting poachers or their campfires at night.

因此，它们在侦测偷猎者和他们夜晚的营火时特别有用。

So I've told you quite a lot about

我已经跟你讲了很多关于

what conservation drones are,

什么是环境保护无人机，

how you might operate one of these drones,

如何操纵无人机，

and what a drone could do for you.

和无人机能为你做些什么。

I will now tell you where conservation drones

我现在将告诉你世界上哪些地方

are being used around the world.

正在使用环境保护无人机。

We built our first prototype drones in Switzerland.

我们在瑞士制造了第一架原型机。

We brought a few of these to Indonesia

我们带了一些到印度尼西亚

for the first few test flights.

做一些首次的测试飞行。

Since then, we've been building drones

从那以后，我们一直在为我们全世界的合作者

for our collaborators from around the world,

制造无人机，

and these include fellow biologists

包括生物学家，

and partners from major conservation organizations.

和来自大型环境保护组织的合作者。

Perhaps the best and most rewarding part

也许与这些合作者工作中

about working with these collaborators

最好的最有价值的部分

is the feedback they give us

就是他们给我们的关于如何

on how to improve our drones.

改进我们的无人机的反馈。

Building drones for us is

制造无人机

a constant work in progress.

是一个要一直持续下去的工作。

We are constantly trying to improve them in terms of

我们一直在试图不断地改进无人机，

their range, their ruggedness,

比如飞行距离、对恶劣环境的耐受性，

and the amount of payload they can carry.

能携带的最大荷载等。

We also work with collaborators

我们也与合作者一起

to discover new ways of using these drones.

发现运用无人机的新方法。

For example, camera traps are a common tool

例如，相机陷阱

used by biologists to take pictures of shy animals

是生物学家们通用的给那些藏在树林里

hiding in the forests,

的害羞的动物拍照的方法，

but these are motion-activated cameras,

但是这些是触发式的相机，

so they snap a picture every time an animal

当一个动物穿过它们的路径时

crosses their path.

才会拍照。

But the problem with camera traps

这些相机陷阱的问题在于

is that the researcher has to go back to the forest

研究者必须频繁地

every so often to retrieve those images,

回到森林中去取回这些照片，

and that takes a lot of time,

这花费很多时间，

especially if there are dozens

特别是当森林中

or hundreds of these cameras placed in the forest.

放有数百个照相机时。

Now a drone could be designed to perform the task

现在，无人机可以更加高效地

much more efficiently.

完成这项工作。

This drone, carrying a special sensor,

携带着特殊传感器的无人机

could be flown over the forest

可以在森林上空

and remotely download these images

远距离地，从能发射wifi信号的相机中

from wi-fi–enabled cameras.

下载图像。

Radio collars are another tool

无线电项圈是另一种

that's commonly used by biologists.

被生物学家广泛运用的工具。

Now these collars are put onto animals.

这些项圈被放置在动物身上。

They transmit a radio signal which allows

它们传输无线电信号，

the researcher to track the movements of these animals across the landscape.

使研究者可以跟踪这些动物的行踪。

But the traditional way of tracking animals

但是传统的跟踪方法，

is pretty ridiculous,

非常地不合理，

because it requires the researcher to be walking

因为它要求研究者携带巨大的，

on the ground carrying a huge and cumbersome radio antenna,

笨重的无线电接收装置行走，

not unlike those old TV antennae we used to have

有点类似我们以前老式电视上的

on our rooftops. Some of us still do.

装在楼顶的天线。一些人现在还是用这样的电视。

A drone could be used to do the same job

一架无人机可以做同样的工作，

much more efficiently.

但是更加高效。

Why not equip a drone

为什么不给一架无人机

with a scanning radio receiver,

装备一个无线电接收装置，

fly that over the forest canopy

让它在森林上空

in a certain pattern

以一个特定的路线飞行，

which would allow the user or the operator

这样可以让操作者

to triangulate the location

用三角测量的方法确定

of these radio-collared animals remotely

携带着无线电圈的动物的位置，

without having to step foot in the forest.

而完全不需要研究者进入森林。

A third and perhaps most exciting way

第三，也许也是最有意思的运用

of using these drones

无人机的方法，

is to fly them to a really remote,

是让它们飞到一片非常遥远，

never-explored-before rainforest

从未被探索过的

somewhere hidden in the tropics,

隐藏在热带地区的雨林，

and parachute down a tiny spy microphone

投下一个微型侦测话筒，

that would allow us to eavesdrop on the calls

我们就可以偷听哺乳动物

of mammals, birds, amphibians,

鸟类，两栖类，

the Yeti, the Sasquatch, Bigfoot, whatever.

雪人，大足怪，等等管它是什么的声音。

That would give us biologists

这将给我们生物学家

a pretty good idea of what animals

一个非常好的了解什么动物

might be living in those forests.

生活在这些森林里的机会。

And finally, I would like to show you

最后，我想向你们展示一下

the latest version of our conservation drone.

我们最新的环境保护无人机。

The MAJA drone has a wingspan

MAJA无人机

of about two meters.

有大约两米的翼展。

It weighs only about two kilograms,

它仅仅只有两千克重，

but it can carry half its weight.

但是却能携带相当于它自己一半重量的装备。

It is a fully autonomous system.

它是一个全自动的系统。

During its mission, it can even transmit

起飞后，它可以传输

a live video feed back to a ground station laptop,

一个实时视频信号给地面电脑，

which allows the user

这样使用者可以实时

to see what the drone is seeing in real time.

看到无人机所看到的。

It carries a variety of sensors,

它还携带有很多传感器，

and the photo quality of some of these sensors

其中一些传感器的照片质量可以

can be as high as one to two centimeters per pixel.

清晰到一到两厘米每像素。

This drone can stay in the air for 40 to 60 minutes,

这架无人机可以连续飞行40到60分钟，

which gives it a range of up to 50 kilometers.

即50千米的飞行距离。

That is quite sufficient for most

这对于我们大多数环保任务来说

of our conservation applications.

已经非常够用了。

Now, conservation drones began as

环境保护无人机，起源于两个生物学家的

a crazy idea from two biologists

疯狂点子，

who are just deeply passionate about this technology.

他们非常狂热于技术。

And we believe, strongly believe,

我们相信，非常强烈地相信

that drones can and will be a game changer

无人机可以给环境保护研究与应用

for conservation research and applications.

带来革命性的改变。

We've had our fair share of skeptics and critics

我们也遭受过质疑与批评，

who thought that we were just fooling around with toy planes.

有人认为我们仅仅只是在玩一些儿童玩具。

And in a way, they are right.

从某种程度上说，他们是对的。

I mean, let's be honest,

我想说的是，老实说，

drones are the ultimate toys for boys.

无人机确实是男孩的终极玩具。

But at the same time, we've also gotten to know

但是同时，我们必须认识到，

many wonderful colleagues and collaborators

很多优秀的同行与合作者们，

who share our vision

也和我们一样

and see the potential of conservation drones.

看到了环境保护无人机的潜在价值。

To us, it is obvious that conservation biologists

对我们而言，很明显，环境保护生物学家们

and practitioners should make full use

和实践者们应该充分利用

of every available tool, including drones,

每一个可用的工具，包括无人机，

in our fight to save the last remaining forests

来保护地球上现存的森林

and wildlife of this planet.

和野生动物。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

掌声