A Powerful New Neurotech Tool for Augmenting Your Mind | Conor Russomanno | TED

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Iris Li

I became obsessed with the relationship between the brain and the mind

我在读大学时因踢足球、打橄榄球，

after suffering a series of concussions

经历了一系列脑振荡后，

playing football and rugby in college.

变得沉迷于研究大脑 和意念之间的关系。

I felt my mind change for years after.

我感觉多年以后我的思维变了。

I was studying computers at the time,

当时我在学习计算机，

and it felt as though I had damaged my hardware

就感觉仿佛我的硬件受损了，

and that my software was running differently.

导致软件运行的方式也改变了。

Over the following years,

之后的几年里，

a close friend suffered a serious neck injury

我的一位密友颈部严重受伤，

and multiple friends and family members were struggling

好几位朋友和家人

with crippling mental health issues.

都经受着严重的心理健康问题。

All around me, people that I loved dearly were being afflicted by ailments

我身边的挚爱之人都受到

of the nervous system or the mind.

神经系统或精神上的 小毛小病的困扰。

I was grappling with all of this

我在帕森斯设计学院读设计 和科技专业的艺术硕士时就深受其扰，

while pursuing an MFA in Design and Technology at Parsons

when a friend and fellow student showed me an open-source tutorial

当时我的朋友，也是同学 给我看了一个开源指南，

on how to build a low-cost single-channel EEG system

说的是如何创建一个 低成本的单通道脑电系统，

to detect brain activity.

用于检测大脑活动。

After a couple long nights of hacking and tinkering,

彻夜钻研摆弄了好几天后，

I saw my brainwaves dancing across the screen for the very first time.

我第一次在屏幕上 看到了我跃动的脑电波。

And that moment changed my life.

那个瞬间改变了我的人生。

In that moment,

在那个瞬间，

I felt as though I had the possibility to help myself and the people I loved.

我觉得我有可能可以 帮上我自己和我爱的人。

And I also realized that I couldn't do it alone.

我也意识到我不能孤军奋战。

I needed help.

我需要帮助。

So in 2013, in Brooklyn, with some like-minded friends,

所以在 2013 年，在布鲁克林， 我和几位志同道合的朋友

I started OpenBCI, an open-source neurotechnology company.

创立了 OpenBCI， 一家开源的神经科学公司。

In the beginning,

刚开始的时候，

our goal was to build an inward-pointing telescope

我们的目标是 打造一个向内的望远镜，

and to share the blueprints with the world

将这幅蓝图分享给全世界，

so that anybody with a computer could begin peering into their own brain.

这样任何使用电脑的人 都可以探秘自己的大脑。

At first, we were an EEG-only company.

起初，我们是一家 只做脑电图的公司。

We sold brain sensors to measure brain activity.

我们出售大脑传感器， 测量大脑活动。

I thought that's what people wanted.

我以为那就是人们想要的东西。

But over time, we discovered people doing very strange things with our technology.

但随着时间的推移，我们发现 人们会用我们的技术做些很奇怪的事。

Some people were connecting the equipment to the stomach

有些人会把设备连到腹部上，

to measure the neurons in the gut

测量肠胃中的神经元，

and study gut-brain connection and the microbiome.

研究肠脑关联和微生物群。

Others were using the tools to build new muscle sensors and controllers

有些人把这些工具 做成了新的肌肉传感器和控制器，

for prosthetics and robotics.

用于外科修复和机器人技术。

And some were designing new devices

有些人设计出了新设备

and peripheral add-ons that could be connected to the platform

和周边附件，连到平台上

to measure new types of data that I had never heard of before.

测量一些我闻所未闻的新型数据。

What we learned from all of this

由此我得到的结论是

is that the brain by itself is actually quite boring.

大脑本身其实是很无趣的。

Turns out brain data alone lacks context.

单看大脑数据没有什么背景信息。

And what we ultimately care about is not the brain,

说到底我们关心的不是大脑，

but the mind, consciousness, human cognition.

而是思维、意识、人类认知。

When we have things like EMG sensors to measure muscle activity

我们拿着肌电传感器去测量肌肉活动，

or ECG sensors to measure heart activity,

拿着心电传感器去测量心脏活动，

eye trackers

眼动仪，

and even environmental sensors to measure the world around us,

甚至拿着环境传感器 去测量身边的世界，

all of this makes the brain data much more useful.

这些都让大脑数据 能派得上更多的用场。

But the organs around our body, our sensory receptors,

但我们体内的器官、感受器

are actually much easier to collect data from than the brain,

从大脑采集数据要简单得多，

and also arguably much more important for determining the things

按理说也在左右 我们真心在乎的东西——

that we actually care about: emotions, intentions and the mind overall.

情绪、意图、整个思维的时候 要关键得多。

Additionally,

除此之外，

we realized that people weren't just interested

我们发现人们不只是

in reading from the brain and the body.

对读取大脑和身体有兴趣。

They were also interested in modulating the mind

他们还对借助各种感官刺激

through various types of sensory stimulation.

调节意念有兴趣。

Things like light, sound,

比如光、声、

haptics and electricity.

触觉和电。

It's one thing to record the mind,

记录思维是一回事。

it's another to modulate it.

调节意念就是另一回事了。

The idea of a combined system

一个可向大脑或身体 读写的整合系统

that can both read from and write to the brain or body

is referred to as a closed-loop system or bidirectional human interface.

会被称为“闭环系统” 或“双向人机接口”。

This concept is truly profound,

这个概念意义深远，

and it will define the next major revolution in computing technology.

它会决定计算机技术的 下一场重大革命。

When you have products that not just are designed for the average user

如果你的产品 不只是为普通用户打造的，

but are designed to actually adapt to their user,

还可以适应用户，

that's something truly special.

那就是个非常特别的东西了。

When we know what the data of an emotion or a feeling looks like

如果我们知道某种情绪或感受 对应的数据是什么样子，

and we know how to make that data go up or down,

如何让这个数据提高或下降，

then using AI,

那么借助人工智能，

we can build constructive or destructive interference patterns

我们就可以构造出 相长干涉或相消干涉的模式，

to either amplify or suppress those emotions or feelings.

放大或抑制这些情绪或感受。

In the very near future,

在眼前的未来，

we will have computers that we are resonantly

我们的计算机会与我们同步、

and subconsciously connected to,

潜意识地相连，

enabling empathetic computing for the very first time.

首次实现同感计算。

In 2018,

2018 年，

we put these learnings to work

我们把这些发现应用于实践，

and began development of a new tool for cognitive exploration.

开始开发认知探索的新工具。

Named after my friend Gael, who passed from ALS in 2016,

以我在 2016 年因渐冻症（ALS） 去世的朋友盖尔（Gael）命名，

we call it Galea.

我们为其起名“盖利亚”（Galea）。

It’s a multimodal bio-sensing headset,

它是一台多模态的生物感测头显，

and it is absolutely packed with sensors.

当然，安装了许多传感器。

It can measure the user’s heart, skin, muscles, eyes and brain,

可以测量用户的心脏、 皮肤、肌肉、眼睛和大脑，

and it combines that capability with head-mounted displays

再加上头戴式显示器

or augmented and virtual reality headsets.

或增强、虚拟现实头显的性能。

Additionally, we're exploring the integration

此外，我们也在研究接入

of non-invasive electrical neural stimulation as a feature.

无创神经电刺激这一功能。

The Galea software suite

盖利亚软件套件

can turn the raw sensor data into meaningful metrics.

可以将原始传感器数据 转化为有含义的测量指标。

With some of the sensors,

利用其中一些传感器，

we're able to provide new forms of real-time interactivity and control.

我们可以提供 新型的实时交互和控制。

And with all of the sensors,

利用这些传感器，

we're able to make quantifiable inferences about high-level states of mind,

我们可以对高层级的情绪 建立可量化的推测，

things like stress, fatigue, cognitive workload and focus.

比如压力、疲劳、 认知负荷和注意力。

In 2019,

2019 年，

a legendary neurohacker by the name of Christian Bayerlein

一位自称克里斯蒂安·巴耶林 （Christian Bayerlein）的神经黑客

reached out to me.

联系了我。

He was actually one of our very first Kickstarter backers

他其实是我们首批 Kickstarter （众筹网站）的支持者，

when we got started, early on.

在我们刚起步的时候， 很早很早以前。

Christian was a very smart, intelligent, happy-go-lucky

克里斯蒂安是一个 非常聪明、智慧、快乐、

and easygoing guy.

随和的人。

And so I worked up the courage to ask him, "Hey, Christian,

所以我鼓起勇气问他： “嘿，克里斯蒂安，

can we connect you to our sensors?"

我们能把你连上我们的传感器吗？”

At which point he said,

当时他说：

"I thought you would never ask."

“我还怕你不提呢。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So after 20 minutes,

过了 20 分钟，

we had him rigged up to a bunch of electrodes,

我们为他胡乱贴上一堆电极，

and we provided him with four new inputs to a computer.

给了他四个连上电脑的新增输入端。

Little digital buttons, that he could control voluntarily.

小小的数字按钮， 他可以自行控制。

This essentially doubled his number of inputs to a computer.

这其实让他连上电脑的 输入端翻倍了。

Years later, after many setbacks due to COVID,

几年后，经历了新冠疫情 造成的重重阻碍后，

we flew to Germany to work with Christian in person

我们飞去了德国， 与克里斯蒂安面对面合作，

to implement the first prototype

开发第一台原型机，

of what we're going to be demoing here today.

也就是我们今天要展示的这台。

Christian then spent months training with that prototype

之后，克里斯蒂安 与这台原型机训练了几个月，

and sending his data across the Atlantic to us in Brooklyn from Germany

把他的数据发过大西洋， 从德国发到布鲁克林，

and flying a virtual drone in our offices.

在我们的办公室里 飞一台虚拟无人机。

The first thing that we did was scour Christian's body

我们做的第一件事就是 检查克里斯蒂安的身体，

for residual motor function.

看看有没有残留的运动机能。

We then connected electrodes to the four muscles

然后把电极连上了四块 他最能自主控制的肌肉，

that he had the most voluntary control over,

and then we turned those muscles into digital buttons.

再把这些肌肉做成数字按钮。

We then applied some smart filtering and signal processing

我们又进行了一些 智能筛选和信号处理，

to adapt those buttons into something more like a slider

把这些按钮改良成类似滑动条

or a digital potentiometer.

或者数字电位器的设计。

After that,

再然后，

we turned those four sliders

我们把这四个滑动条

and mapped them to a new virtual joystick.

匹配上新的虚拟手柄。

Christian then combined that new joystick

然后克里斯蒂安把这个新的手柄

with the joystick that he uses with his lip to control his wheelchair,

和他用嘴唇控制轮椅的手柄 结合在一起，

and with the two joysticks combined,

有了这合二为一的手柄，

Christian finally had control over all the manual controls of a drone.

克里斯蒂安终于可以完全掌控 无人机的所有手动控制了。

I’m going to stop talking about it, and we’re going to show you.

我不讲了，来给大家看看吧。

Christian,

克里斯蒂安，

welcome.

欢迎。

(Applause)

（掌声）

At this point,

现在，

I'm going to ask everybody to turn off your Bluetooth

我想请各位都关掉蓝牙，

and put your phones in airplane mode

把手机调成飞行模式，

so that you don't get hit in the face with a drone.

免得你被无人机撞飞。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

How are you feeling, Christian?

感觉如何，克里斯蒂安？

Christian Bayerlein: Yeah, let's do it.

克里斯蒂安·巴耶林：来吧！

Conor Russomanno: Awesome.

康纳·鲁索曼诺 （Conor Russomanno）：太棒了。

This is a heads-up display that's showing all of Christian's biometric data,

这是一个平视显示器， 展示了克里斯蒂安的所有体征数据

as well as some information about the drone.

和无人机的一些信息。

On the left here, we can see Christian's muscle data.

左侧可以看到 克里斯蒂安的肌肉数据。

Christian is now going to attempt to fly the drone.

克里斯蒂安现在 要试着开无人机。

How are you feeling, Christian, feeling good?

感觉如何，克里斯蒂安， 感觉不错吗？

CB: Yes.

CB: 可以。

CR: All right. Rock and roll.

CR: 好。走起。

Let's take this up for a joyride.

来兜兜风吧。

Whenever you're ready.

准备好了就起飞。

CB: I'm ready.

CB: 准备好了。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声、欢呼声）

CR: All right, take her up.

CR: 好，飞吧。

And now let's do something we probably shouldn't do

我们现在来干点不该干的事，

and fly it over the audience.

朝着观众飞吧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼声、掌声）

Alright, actually, let’s do this.

好，我们来玩这个。

I'm going to ask for people to call out some commands in the audience.

我会请观众说一些指令。

So how about you?

就你了。

Straight forward.

直行。

Straight forward.

直行。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Alright. How about you?

好。你呢？

Man: Up!

男子：向上！

(Laughter)

（笑声）

CR: Not down.

CR: 不是向下。

Oh, he's doing what he wants right now.

哦，他做了这位观众想干的事。

Amazing.

太棒了。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼声、掌声）

Alright, let’s bring it back.

好吧，收回。

And what I'm going to do right now is take control of the controller

我现在要做的是拿走控制器，

so that you guys know

这样你们就知道

that there isn't someone backstage flying this drone.

不是后台的什么人 在开这架无人机。

All right, Christian, you're alright with that?

好，克里斯蒂安， 你可以吗？

CB: Yeah.

CB: 可以。

CR: Unplug.

CR: 拔掉。

Forward.

前进。

And we're going to land this guy now.

我们现在要降落了。

CB: I think I was better than you.

CB: 我觉得我飞得比你好。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

CR: Amazing.

CR: 太棒了。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now I'm going to unplug it so it doesn't turn on on its own.

我现在要把它拔了， 免得它自己启动了。

Perfect.

很好。

Christian has repurposed dormant muscles from around his body

克里斯蒂安重新运用起 他身体各处闲置不用的肌肉，

for extended and augmented interactivity.

放大、增强了交互性。

We have turned those muscles into a generic controller

我们将这些肌肉做成了通用的控制器，

that in this case we've mapped into a drone,

这样就可以匹配上无人机的操作，

but what's really cool is that joystick can be applied to anything.

但最酷的就是这个手柄 可以用于任意用途。

Another thing that's really cool

还有一个很酷的点就是

is that even in individuals who are not living with motor disabilities,

即使这个人并没有运动障碍，

there exist dozens of dormant muscles around the body

身体上下也有许多 休眠状态中的肌肉，

that we can tap into for augmented and expanded control interactivity.

我们可以利用它们增强、 扩展控制的交互性。

And lastly,

最后一点，

all the code related to that virtual joystick,

所有与这个虚拟手柄有关的代码，

we're going to open source

我们都会将其开源，

so that you can implement it and improve upon it.

这样你也可以跑一跑它， 再进行改良。

There's three things that have stood out to me

多年以来，经过了这个项目 和其他项目，我有了三个收获。

from working on this project and many others over the years.

One,

第一，

we cannot conflate the brain with the mind.

我们不能把大脑和意念混为一谈。

In order to understand emotions

要理解情绪、

and tensions and the mind overall,

紧张或是笼统的意念，

we have to measure data from all over the body,

我们得测量全身上下的数据，

not just the brain.

而不仅仅是大脑的数据。

Two,

第二，

open-source technology access and literacy

能够获取并理解开源技术，

is one way that we can combat the potential ethical challenges we face

是我们对抗眼前 因将神经科技引入社会而产生的

in introducing neural technology to society.

潜在的道德挑战的一种方式。

But that's not enough.

但这还不够。

We have to do much, much more than that.

我们要做的还有很多很多。

It's very important, imperative, that we set up guardrails

建立防护措施、

设计我们愿意身处其中的未来 非常重要、迫在眉睫。

and design the future that we want to live in.

Three.

第三。

It's the courage and resilience of trailblazers like Christian

我们看到了克里斯蒂安这样的 开拓者身上的勇气和韧性，

who don't get bogged down by what they can't do,

他们不会被无能为力之事击垮，

but instead strive to prove that the impossible is in fact possible.

反而努力去证明 不可能才是可能的。

(Applause)

（掌声）

And since none of this would have been possible without you, Christian,

如果没有你，这一切都无法成真， 克里斯蒂安，

the stage is yours.

舞台交给你了。

CB: Yeah, hi, everybody.

CB: 好的，大家好。

Audience: Hi.

观众：你好。

CB: I'm excited to be here today.

CB: 我很开心今天能来到这里。

I was born with a genetic condition that affects my mobility

我先天患有遗传性问题， 影响了我的行动，

and requires me to have assistance.

需要辅助。

Despite my disability,

虽然我身患残疾，

I'm a very happy and fulfilled person.

但我是个很快乐又知足的人。

What truly holds me back are not my physical limitations.

真正让我裹足不前的 不是我的身体限制。

It's rather the barriers in the environment.

而是环境中的障碍。

I'm a tech nerd and political activist.

我是一个技术宅和政治活动家。

I believe that technology can empower disabled people.

我相信科技能为残疾人士赋能。

It can help create a better,

它能为每一个人创造一个更好、

more inclusive and accessible world

更具包容性、更触手可及的世界。

for everyone.

This demonstration is a perfect example.

这个展示就是一个完美的例子。

We saw what's possible when cutting edge technology

我们看到了前沿科技

is combined with human curiosity and creativity.

结合上人类的好奇心和创造力 所带来的可能性。

So let's build tools that empower people,

让我们打造为人们赋能的工具，

applications that break down barriers

清除障碍的应用和

and systems that unlock a world of possibilities.

解锁充满可能性的世界的系统。

I think that's an idea worth spreading.

我认为这就是个值得传播的想法。 （TED 标语）

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼声、掌声）