Sonaar Luthra: Meet the Water Canary

翻译人员: Chen Huang 校对人员: Ting Huang

Cholera was reported in Haiti

去年十月（2010年10月）

for the first time in over 50 years

海地出现了50年以来的

last October.

首次霍乱

There was no way to predict

当时没有任何方法能够预测

how far it would spread through water supplies

霍乱将通过水源传播多远

and how bad the situation would get.

以及灾情会恶化到什么程度

And not knowing where help was needed

不知道哪里需要帮助

always ensured that help was in short supply

就意味着不能向最需要的地区

in the areas that needed it most.

提供足够的帮助

We've gotten good at predicting and preparing for storms

我们虽然很擅长预报和防御暴风雨

before they take innocent lives

避免造成人员伤亡

and cause irreversible damage,

或不可挽回的损失

but we still can't do that with water,

但是在水质监测方面我们还达不到这种程度

and here's why.

我来解释一下原因

Right now, if you want to test water in the field,

目前，如果你想检测一个地区的水质

you need a trained technician,

需要一名接受过专业训练的人员

expensive equipment like this,

像这样昂贵的设备

and you have to wait about a day

然后再等将近一天的时间

for chemical reactions to take place and provide results.

等那些化学反应结束之后才能得到最后的结果

It's too slow

这过程太慢了

to get a picture of conditions on the ground

因为在拿到水质检测报告之前

before they change,

当地水质可能就发生变化了

too expensive to implement

同时在所有需要进行水质检测的地区进行这种检测

in all the places that require testing.

成本太高了

And it ignores the fact that, in the meanwhile,

而且这还忽略了一个事实：

people still need to drink water.

进行水质检测的时候，人们还是需要饮水

Most of the information that we collected on the cholera outbreak

我们收集到的大多数关于霍乱爆发的信息

didn't come from testing water;

并不来自水质检测

it came from forms like this,

而是来自这样的表格

which documented all the people

它显示了有多少人

we failed to help.

我们没有来得及帮助到的人

Countless lives have been saved

煤矿里无数生命都

by canaries in coalmines --

被矿里的金丝雀挽救了

a simple and invaluable way

这是一种简单但有效的方法

for miners to know whether they're safe.

矿工们可以通过金丝雀得知他们是否处于安全地带

I've been inspired by that simplicity as I've been working on this problem

这个简单的理念启发了我

with some of the most hardworking and brilliant people I've ever known.

当时我正和一些特别勤奋、聪明的同事一起想办法解决水质检测问题

We think there's a simpler solution to this problem --

我们认为这个问题有一种更为简单的解决方案–

one that can be used

一种可以随时随地

by people who face conditions like this everyday.

由受灾居民操作的水质检测工具

It's in its early stages,

这个产品还处于研制阶段

but this is what it looks like right now.

目前它看上去是这个样子的

We call it the Water Canary.

我们叫它“水质金丝雀”

It's a fast, cheap device

它是一个快速见效而且便宜的设备

that answers an important question:

同时能解决一个重要问题：

Is this water contaminated?

这里的水是否受到了污染？

It doesn't require any special training.

它不需要操作者受过任何特别培训

And instead of waiting for chemical reactions to take place,

也不需要等任何化学反应的结果

it uses light.

它使用光来进行检测

That means there's no waiting

这意味着不需要等待

for chemical reactions to take place,

任何化学反应的结果

no need to use reagents that can run out

也不需要使用那些总会被耗尽的化学试剂

and no need to be an expert

不需要操作者是水质检测专家

to get actionable information.

就能获得很有价值的信息

To test water, you simply insert a sample

要检测水质，你只需要把水样放进去

and, within seconds,

等待几秒钟

it either displays a red light, indicating contaminated water,

如果红灯亮，代表水样受到污染

or a green light, indicating the sample is safe.

如果绿灯亮，代表这里的水是安全的

This will make it possible

这一发明将使每个人

for anyone to collect life-saving information

都能获得可以挽救自己生命的信息

and to monitor water quality conditions as they unfold.

并且可以监测水质的变化

We're also, on top of that,

除此之外，

integrating wireless networking

我们还在它顶部安装了无线网络

into an affordable device

这样这个并不贵的设备就有了

with GPS and GSM.

GPS和GSM功能

What that means is that each reading can be automatically transmitted to servers

这意味着所有的检测数据都会被自动发送到总服务器

to be mapped in real time.

并形成一幅实时监测地图

With enough users,

只要有足够多的使用者

maps like this will make it possible

这样的监测地图就可以被用来

to take preventive action,

指导水质污染防治工作

containing hazards before they turn into emergencies

在疫情发展到紧急情况之前就控制住它

that take years to recover from.

否则可能需要许多年才能恢复该地的水质

And then, instead of taking days

现在，不用再等好多天的时间

to disseminate this information to the people who need it most,

才能把这些信息告诉最需要它的人们

it can happen automatically.

人们自动就会得到这些信息

We've seen how distributed networks,

我们已经见识过广泛分布的网络

big data and information

以及海量的数据和信息

can transform society.

是如何改变我们这个社会的

I think it's time for us to apply them to water.

我想是时候将这些技术运用到水质检测了

Our goal over the next year is to get Water Canary ready for the field

我们明年的目标是将“水质金丝雀”应用于实地检测

and to open-source the hardware

并对硬件进行开源

so that anyone can contribute to the development and the evaluation,

这样任何人都可以为设备开发和升级做出贡献

so we can tackle this problem together.

从而一起来解决水质监控这一问题

Thank you.

谢谢大家

(Applause)

（掌声）