How we'll become cyborgs and extend human potential | Hugh Herr

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I'm an MIT professor,

我是麻省理工学院的教授，

but I do not design buildings or computer systems.

但我并不设计建筑或计算机系统。

Rather, I build body parts,

确切来说，我建造身体部位，

bionic legs that augment human walking and running.

增加人的行走和运行能力的仿生腿。

In 1982, I was in a mountain-climbing accident,

在 1982年的登山事故中，

and both of my legs had to be amputated due to tissue damage from frostbite.

因为双腿组织冻伤， 我双腿膝盖以下被迫截肢。

Here, you can see my legs:

看，这就是我的双腿：

24 sensors, six microprocessors and muscle-tendon-like actuators.

有24 个传感器，6个微处理器 和像肌肉肌腱样的驱动器。

I'm basically a bunch of nuts and bolts from the knee down.

我的膝盖以下就是一堆螺栓螺母，

But with this advanced bionic technology,

但是，借助这种先进的仿生技术，

I can skip, dance and run.

我可以跳跃、 舞蹈和跑步。

（掌声）

(Applause)

谢谢。

Thank you.

（掌声）

(Applause)

I'm a bionic man, but I'm not yet a cyborg.

我是一个仿生人， 但还不是生化人。

When I think about moving my legs,

当我想移动双腿时，

neural signals from my central nervous system

中枢神经系统会发出神经信号，

pass through my nerves

通过神经进行传导，

and activate muscles within my residual limbs.

并激活我残余肢体的肌肉。

Artificial electrodes sense these signals,

人造电极感应到这些信号，

and small computers in the bionic limb

仿生肢体内的小计算机

decode my nerve pulses into my intended movement patterns.

对我的神经脉冲解码 并进入预期的运动模式。

Stated simply,

简言之，

when I think about moving,

当我想移动时，

that command is communicated to the synthetic part of my body.

这个命令被传达到 我身体的合成部分。

However, those computers can't input information into my nervous system.

然而，计算机却无法 将信息输入到我的神经系统。

When I touch and move my synthetic limbs,

当我触摸和移动我的合成四肢时，

I do not experience normal touch and movement sensations.

我感受不到正常触摸和运动的感觉。

If I were a cyborg and could feel my legs

如果我是生化人，

而且能通过小电脑输入 神经系统的信息而感觉到我腿的存在，

via small computers inputting information into my nervous system,

it would fundamentally change, I believe,

我相信，它将从根本上

my relationship to my synthetic body.

改变我与我的合成身体之间的关系。

Today, I can't feel my legs,

现在，我无法感受到双腿的存在，

and because of that,

正因为如此，

my legs are separate tools from my mind and my body.

我的双腿事实上只是独立于 我身体和意志之外的工具而已，

They're not part of me.

它们根本不是我身体的一部分。

I believe that if I were a cyborg and could feel my legs,

我相信，如果我是生化人 且能感受到双腿的存在，

they would become part of me, part of self.

它们会成为我身体的 一部分、自我的一部分。

At MIT, we're thinking about NeuroEmbodied Design.

在麻省理工学院， 我们正在考虑神经体现设计。

In this design process,

在这个设计过程中，

the designer designs human flesh and bone, the biological body itself,

设计者们设计 人体肌肉和骨骼、生物体本身，

along with synthetics to enhance the bidirectional communication

连同合成物们一起，

共同增进神经系统 与所构建世界之间的双向沟通。

between the nervous system and the built world.

NeuroEmbodied Design is a methodology to create cyborg function.

神经体现设计是一种 创造生化人功能的方法。

In this design process, designers contemplate a future

在此设计过程里， 设计者们设想，在未来世界中

in which technology no longer compromises separate,

技术不再妥协于

与我们头脑和身体分离的、 没有任何生命特征的工具；

lifeless tools from our minds and our bodies,

a future in which technology has been carefully integrated

未来世界中，技术已被精心整合到

within our nature,

我们人类的天性中；

a world in which what is biological and what is not,

一个是否是生物、

what is human and what is not,

是否是人、

what is nature and what is not

是否是自然本性的

will be forever blurred.

界限将永远模糊的世界。

未来将为人类提供新的身体。

That future will provide humanity new bodies.

NeuroEmbodied Design will extend our nervous systems

神经体现设计将我们的神经系统

into the synthetic world,

延伸到合成世界中，

and the synthetic world into us,

同时也将合成世界延伸到我们体内，

fundamentally changing who we are.

这些都将从根本上改变我们。

By designing the biological body to better communicate

通过设计生物体

实现与构建的设计世界 进行更好沟通，

with the built design world,

人类将在二十一世纪终结残疾，

humanity will end disability in this 21st century

and establish the scientific and technological basis

并为人类能力的强化

建立科学和技术基础；

for human augmentation,

extending human capability beyond innate, physiological levels,

在认知、感情和身体方面， 人类能力的提升

cognitively, emotionally and physically.

将超越先天和生理层面。

有许多方法可以超越常规 来建立新的身体，

There are many ways in which to build new bodies across scale,

from the biomolecular to the scale of tissues and organs.

从生物分子层面 到组织和器官层面。

Today, I want to talk about one area of NeuroEmbodied Design,

今天，我想谈谈 神经体现设计中的一个领域 ，

in which the body's tissues are manipulated and sculpted

使用外科手术和再生技术，

using surgical and regenerative processes.

对人体组织进行处理和重塑。

The current amputation paradigm

自美国内战以来，

hasn't changed fundamentally since the US Civil War

截肢规范并没有发生根本性的改变，

and has grown obsolete in light of dramatic advancements

随着执行器、控制系统 和神经接口技术的迅猛发展，

in actuators, control systems and neural interfacing technologies.

原来的截肢规范早已过时。

一个主要的缺陷是 缺少了用来进行控制和本体感知的

A major deficiency is the lack of dynamic muscle interactions

for control and proprioception.

动态肌肉间的相互作用。

What is proprioception?

什么是本体感知呢？

When you flex your ankle, muscles in the front of your leg contract,

当你弯曲脚踝时， 腿前部的肌肉就会收缩，

simultaneously stretching muscles in the back of your leg.

同时，腿后部的肌肉则会伸展。

The opposite happens when you extend your ankle.

当你伸展脚踝时， 肌肉的作用正好相反。

Here, muscles in the back of your leg contract,

当腿后面的肌肉收缩时，

stretching muscles in the front.

腿前面的肌肉就会伸展。

When these muscles flex and extend,

当这些肌肉弯曲和伸展时，

biological sensors within the muscle tendons

肌肉肌腱内的生物传感器

send information through nerves to the brain.

通过神经向大脑发送信息。

This is how we're able to feel where our feet are

这就是为何我们根本不用看

without seeing them with our eyes.

就能感觉到脚的位置。

The current amputation paradigm breaks these dynamic muscle relationships,

目前的截肢范式 打破了这些动态肌肉间的关系，

and in so doing eliminates normal proprioceptive sensations.

这样做也消除了正常的本体感知能力。

Consequently, a standard artificial limb

因此,，一个标准的假肢

cannot feed back information into the nervous system

无法将假肢在空间中的位置信息

about where the prosthesis is in space.

反馈回神经系统中。

The patient therefore cannot sense and feel

病人因而也无法感知和感受到

the positions and movements of the prosthetic joint

假肢连接处的位置和动作，

without seeing it with their eyes.

除非自己亲眼看到。

我的腿就是用这个 内战时期的方法截肢的，

My legs were amputated using this Civil War-era methodology.

I can feel my feet, I can feel them right now

我能感觉到我的双脚,， 现在就能感觉到它们的存在，

as a phantom awareness.

仅仅作为一种幻影意识。

但是，当试图移动它们时， 我却做不到，

But when I try to move them, I cannot.

感觉它们像被卡在 坚硬的溜冰鞋里一样。

It feels like they're stuck inside rigid ski boots.

To solve these problems,

在麻省理工学院,， 为了解决这些问题，

at MIT, we invented the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface,

我们发明了主动肌和 对抗肌肌神经的接口，

or AMI, for short.

缩写为AMI。

The AMI is a method to connect nerves within the residuum

AMI 是一种将残肢中的神经

to an external, bionic prosthesis.

连接到外部仿生假肢的方法。

How is the AMI designed, and how does it work?

AMI 是如何设计的， 又是如何工作的呢？

The AMI comprises two muscles that are surgically connected,

AMI 包括两块通过手术连接的肌肉：

an agonist linked to an antagonist.

主动肌和与之连接的对抗肌。

When the agonist contracts upon electrical activation,

当主动肌在电激信号作用下收缩时，

it stretches the antagonist.

它会伸展对抗肌。

This muscle dynamic interaction

这种肌肉的动态交互作用

causes biological sensors within the muscle tendon

导致肌肉肌腱内的生物传感器

to send information through the nerve to the central nervous system,

通过神经向中枢神经系统发送

relating information on the muscle tendon's length, speed and force.

有关肌肉肌腱长度、 速度和力量的信息。

This is how muscle tendon proprioception works,

这就是肌肉肌腱本体的工作原理，

and it's the primary way we, as humans,

它也是我们作为人类

can feel and sense the positions, movements and forces on our limbs.

感觉和感知四肢位置、 运动和力量的主要途径。

When a limb is amputated,

当肢体被截掉以后，

the surgeon connects these opposing muscles within the residuum

外科医生把残肢内 这些拮抗肌连接起来，

to create an AMI.

形成AMI。

Now, multiple AMI constructs can be created

现在，可以创建多个AMI结构

for the control and sensation of multiple prosthetic joints.

用于多个人工关节的控制和感知。

然后，将人造电极 放在每块AMI 肌肉上，

Artificial electrodes are then placed on each AMI muscle,

and small computers within the bionic limb decode those signals

仿生肢体内的小计算机 对这些信号解码，

to control powerful motors on the bionic limb.

以控制仿生肢上的强力马达。

When the bionic limb moves,

当仿生肢体移动时，

the AMI muscles move back and forth,

AMI 上的肌肉来回移动，

sending signals through the nerve to the brain,

通过神经向大脑发送信号，

使佩戴假肢的人能体验到

enabling a person wearing the prosthesis to experience natural sensations

of positions and movements of the prosthesis.

假肢的位置和运动的自然感觉。

Can these tissue-design principles be used in an actual human being?

这些组织设计原则 能用于真正的人体吗？

A few years ago, my good friend Jim Ewing -- of 34 years --

几年前，我34岁的好朋友吉姆 · 尤文

reached out to me for help.

向我求助。

吉姆经历一了次可怕的登山事故。

Jim was in an a terrible climbing accident.

He fell 50 feet in the Cayman Islands

在开曼群岛上，他下跌了50英尺，

when his rope failed to catch him hitting the ground's surface.

他的绳子没能接住他， 导致他直接撞到地上。

他身上多处受伤，

He suffered many, many injuries:

punctured lungs and many broken bones.

肺被刺穿、许多骨头都断了。

After his accident, he dreamed of returning to his chosen sport

事故之后，他依然梦想着回到

of mountain climbing,

自己选择的登山运动众，

but how might this be possible?

但这怎么可能呢？

The answer was Team Cyborg,

答案就来自于‘’生化人团队‘’，

a team of surgeons, scientists and engineers

一个由外科医生、 科学家和工程师组成的团队，

assembled at MIT to rebuild Jim back to his former climbing prowess.

聚集在麻省理工学院 帮助吉姆恢复他以前的攀登能力。

Team member Dr. Matthew Carty amputated Jim's badly damaged leg

小组成员马修 · 卡蒂博士 在波士顿的布莱根妇女医院

at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston,

切除了吉姆严重受损的腿，

using the AMI surgical procedure.

完全按照AMI 手术步骤进行手术。

Tendon pulleys were created and attached to Jim's tibia bone

他把创建的肌腱滑轮 连接到吉姆的胫骨上，

to reconnect the opposing muscles.

以重新连接拮抗肌。

The AMI procedure reestablished the neural link

AMI 过程重新建立了

between Jim's ankle-foot muscles and his brain.

吉姆脚踝脚肌肉 和他的大脑之间的神经联系。

When Jim moves his phantom limb,

当吉姆移动幻肢时，

the reconnected muscles move in dynamic pairs,

重新连接的肌肉也动态成对移动，

causing signals of proprioception to pass through nerves to the brain,

把本体信号通过神经传送到大脑，

so Jim experiences normal sensations with ankle-foot positions and movements,

因此，吉姆能体验到 脚踝-脚的位置和运动的正常感觉，

even when blindfolded.

即使蒙上眼睛。

Here's Jim at the MIT laboratory after his surgeries.

这是在麻省理工实验室中， 手术后的吉姆。

We electrically linked Jim's AMI muscles, via the electrodes,

我们通过电极将吉姆的AMI肌肉

to a bionic limb,

连接到仿生肢体上，

and Jim quickly learned how to move the bionic limb

吉姆很快就学会了如何移动仿生肢体，

in four distinct ankle-foot movement directions.

四个不同方向的脚踝-脚均可移动。

We were excited by these results, but then Jim stood up,

大家都对此兴奋不已， 而当吉姆站起来时，

and what occurred was truly remarkable.

接下来发生的一切则令人惊叹：

All the natural biomechanics mediated by the central nervous system

所有由中枢神经系统调节的 假体生理发展

经由合成肢体

emerged via the synthetic limb

以一种无意识的反射行为 融合在一起。

as an involuntary, reflexive action.

All the intricacies of foot placement during stair ascent --

上楼时脚步错综复杂的位置——

(Applause)

（掌声）

emerged before our eyes.

呈现在我们眼前。

Here's Jim descending steps,

这是吉姆走下台阶，

reaching with his bionic toe to the next stair tread,

正伸出仿生脚趾到下一个台阶，

自动地展现自然的动作，

automatically exhibiting natural motions

without him even trying to move his limb.

甚至不用有意识地试着移动肢体。

Because Jim's central nervous system is receiving the proprioceptive signals,

因为吉姆的中枢神经系统 能接收本体感知信号，

it knows exactly how to control the synthetic limb in a natural way.

所以，它确切知道 如何自然地控制合成肢体。

Now, Jim moves and behaves as if the synthetic limb is part of him.

吉姆活动和做事时， 合成肢体就像他的一部分。

For example, one day in the lab,

例如，某天在实验室，

he accidentally stepped on a roll of electrical tape.

他意外地踩到一卷电工胶带上，

Now, what do you do when something's stuck to your shoe?

当东西粘上到你的鞋底上时， 你会怎么做？

You don't reach down like this; it's way too awkward.

你不会弯腰去取的， 那样显得太笨了，

Instead, you shake it off,

相反，你会抖掉它。

and that's exactly what Jim did

吉姆正是这么做的，

after being neurally connected to the limb for just a few hours.

神经接通肢体仅几小时后， 他就甩掉了胶带！

What was most interesting to me

我觉得最有意思的是，

is what Jim was telling us he was experiencing.

吉姆告诉我们他当时的感受。

He said, "The robot became part of me."

他说：‘’机器已成为我的一部分。‘’

Jim Ewing: The morning after the first time I was attached to the robot,

吉姆 · 尤文： 我连上机器后的次日早晨，

女儿下楼来，问我成为 生化人的感觉如何，

my daughter came downstairs and asked me how it felt to be a cyborg,

and my answer was that I didn't feel like a cyborg.

我回答说，不觉得自己是生化人，

I felt like I had my leg,

而是觉得好像是自己的腿回来了。

and it wasn't that I was attached to the robot

与其说我连在机器上，

so much as the robot was attached to me,

倒不如说是机器连到我身上，

and the robot became part of me.

机器已然成为我的一部分，

It became my leg pretty quickly.

很快就变成我的腿了。

Hugh Herr: Thank you.

（掌声）休 · 赫尔：谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

By connecting Jim's nervous system bidirectionally

通过将吉姆的神经系统双向连接到

to his synthetic limb,

他的合成肢体上，

实现了神经体现。

neurological embodiment was achieved.

I hypothesized that because Jim can think and move his synthetic limb,

我推测，因为吉姆能思考 和移动他的合成肢体，

and because he can feel those movements within his nervous system,

他还能在神经系统内 感受到那些移动，

the prosthesis is no longer a separate tool,

所以，假肢不再是单独的工具，

而是吉姆的一部分， 整个身体不可分割的一部分。

but an integral part of Jim, an integral part of his body.

Because of this neurological embodiment, Jim doesn't feel like a cyborg.

由于神经体现， 吉姆不觉得自己像生化人。

He feels like he just has his leg back,

他觉得就像找回了自己的腿、

that he has his body back.

找回自己的身体而已。

Now I'm often asked

现在我经常被问到

when I'm going to be neurally linked to my synthetic limbs bidirectionally,

何时会将我的合成肢体 双向接通神经，

when I'm going to become a cyborg.

准备何时成为生化人。

The truth is, I'm hesitant to become a cyborg.

事实上， 我很犹豫要不要成为生化人。

Before my legs were amputated, I was a terrible student.

截肢前我是个糟糕的学生。

I got D's and often F's in school.

在学校的成绩是 D，常常是 F。

Then, after my limbs were amputated,

截肢后，

I suddenly became an MIT professor.

我突然成为麻省理工学院的教授了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now I'm worried that once I'm neurally connected to my limbs once again,

现在我有点担心， 我的肢体一旦接通神经，

my brain will remap back to its not-so-bright self.

大脑会重新回到那个 不太聪明的自己。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But you know what, that's OK, because at MIT, I already have tenure.

不过没关系，你们也知道， 我已是麻省理工学院的终身教授了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I believe the reach of NeuroEmbodied Design

我相信，神经体现设计的范围

will extend far beyond limb replacement

将远超替换肢体的范围，

and will carry humanity into realms

它会将人类带入从根本上

that fundamentally redefine human potential.

重新定义人类潜能的领域。

In this 21st century,

在二十一世纪，

designers will extend the nervous system into powerfully strong exoskeletons

设计师们会把神经系统 延伸到强大的外骨骼，

人类能用思想去控制和感知它们。

that humans can control and feel with their minds.

Muscles within the body can be reconfigured

体内的肌肉可重新配置，

for the control of powerful motors,

以控制强大的马达，

and to feel and sense exoskeletal movements,

并感受和感知外骨骼的动作，

augmenting humans' strength, jumping height and running speed.

进而增强人类力量、 跳跃高度和跑步速度。

In this 21st century, I believe humans will become superheroes.

在二十一世紀，我相信 人类会成为超级英雄。

Humans may also extend their bodies

人类也可以延伸自己的身体

into non-anthropomorphic structures, such as wings,

到拟人化的结构中，如翅膀，

controlling and feeling each wing movement within the nervous system.

在神经系统内控制 和感受每一个翅膀动作。

Leonardo da Vinci said, "When once you have tasted flight,

达芬奇说过： “一旦尝过飞行的滋味，

you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

在地上行走时， 你的眼睛依然会看向天空，

for there you have been and there you will always long to return."

因为你曾去过那里， 而且会一直想回到那里。”

During the twilight years of this century,

在本世纪末，

I believe humans will be unrecognizable in morphology and dynamics

与今天的我们相比， 我相信人类在形态和动力学方面，

from what we are today.

将发生颠覆性的改变。

Humanity will take flight and soar.

人类将会腾飞并翱翔。

Jim Ewing fell to earth and was badly broken,

虽然吉姆 · 尤恩坠地 并严重受伤，

but his eyes turned skyward, where he always longed to return.

但他的眼睛看着天空， 总是渴望回归。

After his accident, he not only dreamed to walk again,

事故后，他不仅梦想能再次走路，

but also to return to his chosen sport of mountain climbing.

还梦想回到 他所选择的登山运动。

At MIT, Team Cyborg built Jim a specialized limb for the vertical world,

在麻省理工学院，生化人团队 专门打造了用于垂直世界的特殊肢体，

a brain-controlled leg with full position and movement sensations.

即由大脑控制、 具有完整位置和动作感觉的腿。

Using this technology, Jim returned to the Cayman Islands,

用这种技术，吉姆重回开曼群岛的

the site of his accident,

事故发生现场，

rebuilt as a cyborg to climb skyward once again.

作为被重建的生化人， 再次向着天空攀登。

(Crashing waves)

（浪涛声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Ewing, the first cyborg rock climber.

先生女士们，这就是 第一个生化人攀岩者——吉姆 · 尤恩!

(Applause)

（掌声）