How New Technology Helps Blind People Explore the World | Chieko Asakawa | TED Talks

翻译人员: Yolanda Zhang 校对人员: Fan Han

You might think there are many things that I can't do

可能你们认为有许多事情是我不能完成的

because I cannot see.

因为我看不见

That's largely true.

很大程度上来说，这是事实

Actually, I just needed to have a bit of help

比如像刚才我需要一些帮助

to come up to the stage.

才能走上这个讲台

But there is also a lot that I can do.

但也有很多事情是我能够完成的

This is me rock climbing for the first time.

这个，是我第一次攀岩

Actually, I love sports and I can play many sports,

实际上我喜欢运动，我也能够完成很多运动

like swimming, skiing, skating, scuba diving, running and so on.

例如游泳，滑雪，溜冰， 水肺潜水，跑步，等等。

But there is one limitation:

但是总有一个限制:

somebody needs to help me.

我需要旁人的帮助。

I want to be independent.

我想要自己来做。

I lost my sight at the age of 14 in a swimming pool accident.

在我14岁的时候， 一次游泳池里的意外让我丧失了视力

I was an active, independent teenager,

曾经的我是一个活泼和独立的人

and suddenly I became blind.

然后却在一瞬间变成了盲人

The hardest thing for me was losing my independence.

对我来说最困难的事情是失去了独立的能力

Things that until then seemed simple became almost impossible to do alone.

曾经看起来很简单的事情 都变得几乎不可能完成一样

For example, one of my challenges was textbooks.

举个例子，其中一个挑战就是读书

Back then, there were no personal computers,

在那个时候，没有个人电脑

no Internet, no smartphones.

没有网络，没有智能手机

So I had to ask one of my two brothers to read me textbooks,

所以我不得不请求我其中一个哥哥来读给我听

and I had to create my own books in Braille.

并自己把书翻译成盲文

Can you imagine?

你能想象这个画面吗？

Of course, my brothers were not happy about it,

当然，我的哥哥们对此并不乐意

and later, I noticed they were not there whenever I needed them.

后来我发现， 每当我需要他们的时候他们就不见人影了

(Laughter)

(笑)

I think they tried to stay away from me.

我想他们刻意离我远一点

I don't blame them.

我并不责怪他们

I really wanted to be freed from relying on someone.

我真心希望自己不需要依赖任何人

That became my strong desire to ignite innovation.

这变成我想要带来创新最强大的动力

Jump ahead to the mid-1980s.

直到80年代中期

I got to know cutting-edge technologies

我见识到了先进的科技后

and I thought to myself,

联想到了我自己

how come there is no computer technology

为什么没有一种电脑技术

to create books in Braille?

能用来生成盲文书籍呢？

These amazing technologies must be able to also help people

这些令人惊叹的科技也应该能够用来帮助

with limitations like myself.

像我一样有缺陷的人们

That's the moment my innovation journey began.

那就是我创新历程的开端

I started developing digital book technologies,

我开始开发电子书技术

such as a digital Braille editor, digital Braille dictionary

比如电子盲文编辑器，电子盲文字典

and a digital Braille library network.

和电子盲文图书网

Today, every student who is visually impaired can read textbooks,

在今天，每一个有视力障碍的学生都能

by using personal computers and mobile devices,

通过个人电脑和移动设备

in Braille or in voice.

来阅读盲文或听有声读物

This may not surprise you,

你不会为此感到惊讶，

since everyone now has digital books in their tablets in 2015.

因为现在是2015年， 每一个人的平板电脑里面都有电子书

But Braille went digital many years before digital books,

但是大约30年前，也就是80年代末，

already in the late 1980s, almost 30 years ago.

电子盲文已经出现，这远早于电子书

Strong and specific needs of the blind people

盲人的这种强烈和特殊的需求

made this opportunity to create digital books way back then.

促成了早年电子书的发明

And this is actually not the first time this happened,

而且这并不是第一次出现这样的发明

because history shows us accessibility ignites innovation.

历史上就有为了方便残障人士 启发了创新诞生的例子

The telephone was invented while developing a communication tool

电话的发明是为了开发一种

for hearing impaired people.

方便听力障碍人群交流的工具

Some keyboards were also invented to help people with disabilities.

某些键盘也是为了帮助有残疾的人士而发明的

Now I'm going to give you another example from my own life.

现在我来告诉你们一个我生活中的例子。

In the '90s, people around me started talking about the Internet

在90年代，我身边的人开始谈论

and web browsing.

因特网和浏览网页

I remember the first time I went on the web.

我记得第一次上网时

I was astonished.

我惊呆了

I could access newspapers at any time and every day.

我能够每天随时浏览报纸

I could even search for any information by myself.

我甚至能通过我自己搜索到任何信息

I desperately wanted to help the blind people have access to the Internet,

我迫切的想要帮助其他的盲人上网

and I found ways to render the web into synthesized voice,

我找到了能够把网页内容合成成声音的方法

which dramatically simplified the user interface.

这大大的简化了用户界面

This led me to develop the Home Page Reader in 1997,

这使我在1997年开发了"首页阅读器"

first in Japanese and later, translated into 11 languages.

并从最开始的日语普及到了11种语言

When I developed the Home Page Reader,

当我在开发"首页阅读器"的时候

I got many comments from users.

我收到了许多来自于用户的建议

One that I strongly remember said,

其中有一个我印象深刻，他说:

"For me, the Internet is a small window to the world."

"对我来说，网络是打开世界的窗口。"

It was a revolutionary moment for the blind.

这对于盲人来说是一个革新的时刻。

The cyber world became accessible,

网络世界变得触手可及

and this technology that we created for the blind has many uses,

并且有许多的用户使用我们这项 本来是为盲人开发的技术

way beyond what I imagined.

多到超过我的预想

It can help drivers listen to their emails

它能够帮助司机阅读邮件

or it can help you listen to a recipe while cooking.

它能在你做饭的时候帮你阅读菜谱

Today, I am more independent,

今天，我变得更加独立了

but it is still not enough.

但还远远不够

For example, when I approached the stage just now, I needed assistance.

例如我刚刚要走上讲台的时候， 我还是需要协助

My goal is to come up here independently.

我的目标是靠我自己走上来

And not just here.

而且不仅仅只是走上这个讲台

My goal is to be able to travel and do things that are simple to you.

我的目标是去旅行， 去完成对你们来说很容易的事情

OK, now let me show you the latest technologies.

好了，现在让我来给你们展示一些最新的科技

This is a smartphone app that we are working on.

这是我们目前正在开发的一个智能手机客户端

(Video) Electronic voice: 51 feet to the door, and keep straight.

(视频)电子语音: 距离门口51英尺，直行

EV: Take the two doors to go out. The door is on your right.

电子语音:打开两扇门出去。门在你右边

EV: Nick is approaching. Looks so happy.

电子语音:尼克正在朝你走来。 他看起来很高兴。

Chieko Asakawa: Hi, Nick!

浅川智惠子:你好，尼克

(Laughter)

(笑声)

CA: Where are you going? You look so happy.

浅川智惠子:你要去哪儿？ 你看起来很开心

Nick: Oh -- well, my paper just got accepted.

尼克: 啊，我的文章刚刚被接受啦

CA: That's great! Congratulations.

浅川智惠子:真棒！祝贺你

Nick: Thanks. Wait -- how'd you know it was me, and that I look happy?

尼克: 谢谢。等等，你怎么知道是我， 并知道我很高兴的？

(Chieko and Nick laugh)

(浅川智惠子和 尼克 大笑)

Man: Hi.

路人:你好

(Laughter)

(笑声)

CA: Oh ... hi.

浅川智惠子:你好

EV: He is not talking to you, but on his phone.

电子语音: 他没有跟你讲话，他在讲电话

EV: Potato chips.

电子语音: 薯片。

EV: Dark chocolate with almonds.

电子语音: 杏仁黑巧克力。

EV: You gained 5 pounds since yesterday; take apple instead of chocolate.

电子语音: 你比昨天重了5磅。 你应该拿起苹果，放下巧克力。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

EV: Approaching.

电子语音: 正在靠近

EV: You arrived.

电子语音: 到达目的地

CA: Now ...

浅川智惠子:现在。。。

(Applause)

(掌声)

Thank you.

谢谢

So now the app navigates me

所以现在这个应用通过分析

by analyzing beacon signals and smartphone sensors

指标讯号和手机感应来引导我

and permits me to move around indoor and outdoor environments

并让我能够靠我自己在室内和之外

all by myself.

的环境间移动

But the computer vision part that showed who is approaching,

但是指示我谁在靠近， 情绪如何的电脑视觉部分

in which mood -- we are still working on that part.

我们还在努力改进

And recognizing facial expressions is very important for me to be social.

这个面部表情识别功能 对我的社交生活非常重要

So now the fusions of technologies are ready to help me

所以，现在科技的融合已经帮助我

see the real world.

看到了真实的世界

We call this cognitive assistance.

我们称它为认知协助

It understands our surrounding world

它帮助我们理解我们周围的世界

and whispers to me in voice or sends a vibration to my fingers.

并且通过语音或者手指的震动来告诉我

Cognitive assistance will augment missing or weakened abilities --

认知协助可以增强我们缺少或弱化的能力——

in other words, our five senses.

换句话说，就是我们的五官

This technology is only in an early stage,

这种科技还在初级阶段

but eventually, I'll be able to find a classroom on campus,

但最终，我能够找到校园里的一间教室

enjoy window shopping

能够享受橱窗购物

or find a nice restaurant while walking along a street.

或者在漫步的时候找到一间不错的餐厅

It will be amazing if I can find you on the street before you notice me.

在大街上我能够在你注意我之前就找到你， 那将是多么让人惊讶

It will become my best buddy, and yours.

它会变成我最好的伙伴， 也会是你最好的伙伴

So, this really is a great challenge.

所以，这真的是一个挑战

It is a challenge that needs collaboration,

一个需要合作的挑战

which is why we are creating an open community

这个合作正是我们创造一个促进研究交流

to accelerate research activities.

的开放社区的目的

Just this morning, we announced the open-source fundamental technologies

就在今天早上，我们发布了开源的基础技术

you just saw in the video.

就是你们刚刚在视频里面看到的

The frontier is the real world.

前沿就是真实的世界

The blind community is exploring this technical frontier

盲人团体正在发掘这一技术的前沿

and the pathfinder.

和探路者

I hope to work with you to explore the new era,

我希望和你们一起来探索这个新的纪元

and the next time that I'm on this stage,

也希望下次当我站在这个讲台上的时候

through technology and innovation,

在科技和创新的帮助下

I will be able to walk up here

我能够完全靠我自己

all by myself.

走到这里

Thank you so much.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

(掌声)