How You Could See Inside Your Body — With a Micro-Robot | Alex Luebke and Vivek Kumbhari | TED

翻译人员: yaya fan 校对人员: suya f.

Alex Luebke: I'd like to invite you to go on a fantastic voyage with me today,

亚历克斯·吕布克（Alex Luebke）：今天， 我想邀请你一起踏上一次奇妙的旅程，

as we explore inside the human body.

来探索人体内部。

Inside each and every one of us holds mysteries and wonders

我们每个人的身体内 都蕴藏着奥秘和奇迹，

that if unlocked, lead to better health, performance and longevity.

如果解锁这些神秘，人类就可以 更健康，改善机能，增加寿命。

But seeing inside has proven to be quite difficult.

但是事实证明， 看见人体内部是相当难的。

Since the beginning of the modern era,

自现代以来，

the only way to really look inside was through rudimentary surgeries.

真切观察人体内部的唯一方法， 就是通过基础的外科手术。

Over the past 150 years or so,

在过去的 150 年左右，

we've had great technologies that allow us to look from the outside,

我们已拥有了从体外观察的伟大技术，

like X-rays and MRIs.

例如X射线和核磁共振成像。

But what I propose and what I'd like us to explore today

但是，今天我带来 并希望与大家共同探索的，

is looking at microrobotics inside the human body.

是在人体内部进行观察的微型机器人。

As a first step on that journey, let me introduce you to PillBot.

作为探索之旅的第一步， 请允许我向大家介绍 PillBot。

PillBot is a small, wireless robot that is remotely controlled,

PillBot 是一款小型无线遥控机器人，

and it swims around in three dimensions in a water-filled human stomach.

它可以在人体充满液体的胃中三维游动。

This robot has things you would expect on a robot.

这个机器人拥有你所期望的功能。

It has a camera, so it gives you a live video feed.

它配备一个摄像头， 可以提供实时影像。

It has control circuitry.

它有控制电路。

It has LED lights because inside the human body it's quite dark.

它配有 LED 灯 ， 因为人体内部相当黑暗。

It has a wireless data link and it has a battery.

它有无线数据链接和电池。

Now the way this robot moves is it has three pump jet thrusters

这个机器人的移动方式是， 它有三个水泵喷射推进器，

that squirt water in six different directions,

可以向六个方向喷水，

that allow the pilot to fly around in three-dimensional space

使 PillBot 在充满液体的 三维空间内飞来飞去。

in a water volume.

Over the past five years, we've spent a lot of time

在过去的五年中， 我们花了很多时间

to get the size of this robot smaller and smaller.

来缩小这个机器人的体积。

What we started with wasn't quite --

我们一开始设计的并不太——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Not quite swallowable.

不太容易被吞咽。

But we finally worked our way down

但我们最终还是把它缩小了，

and where we are these days

现在的大小

is about the size of a small multivitamin capsule.

和一颗小复合维生素胶囊差不多。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

Now we're going to fly this robot around for you for a little bit.

接着我们要让这个机器人飞一会儿。

But to do that, I would like to invite Doctor Vivek Kumbhari.

为此，我想邀请维韦克·昆巴里 （Vivek Kumbhari）医生，

He's the chairman of gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic.

他是梅奥（Mayo）诊所 的胃肠病学主席，

And I'd like to have him pilot this PillBot while I turn it on.

我启动 PillBot 后， 会邀请他来操控。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Vivek Kumbhari: Here is a common scenario I encounter in my clinic.

维韦克·昆巴里（Vivek Kumbhari）: 我在诊所遇到的一种常见情况是，

A patient who's generally in good health

一位健康状况良好的人来看病，

comes to see me because they have abdominal pain,

主诉腹部疼痛，

and I suspect it's coming from the stomach.

我怀疑疼痛来自胃部。

Now I need to understand precisely what the problem is,

接着，我需要确切 了解问题出在哪里，

but I can't just pop my head in and take a look.

但我不能直接把头伸进去查看，

So, and despite that patient sitting right in front of me,

所以，尽管患者就坐在我面前，

I need to ask them to go back home

我还是需要让他们先回家，

and come back to the hospital on another occasion

下次再来医院接受检查，

so I can put them to sleep with anesthesia

我会麻醉患者，

so that they allow me to insert this long tube with a camera at the tip,

这样才能将尖端装有摄像头的长导管

through the mouth and into the stomach.

通过口腔插入胃里。

This is an endoscopy,

这是一种内窥镜检查，

and it's a relatively invasive and expensive procedure,

是一种相对侵入性和昂贵的手术，

and we are on a mission to do better.

但我们的使命是要做得更好。

We'd like to transform this experience

我们希望改变这种体验，

by dematerializing the physical hospital into PillBot.

通过将实体医院简化为 PillBot。

As you can see here, we have a capsule here,

正如你所看到的， 我们有一个胶囊，

and I'm using a game controller to navigate PillBot.

我正在使用一个游戏手柄 来操控 PillBot。

Although I could have also used a tablet or a smartphone.

我也可以使用一个 平板电脑或智能手机。

You can move it around rather quickly here,

你可以让它快速移动，

and you can imagine that using the tank this size,

你可以想象，使用这么大的水缸，

we're still able to navigate the entire experience,

我们都能够完整浏览内部，

which -- and this tank is significantly larger

而且这个水缸 比人类的胃大得多，

than the human stomach,

or any internal human organ for that matter.

或是人体内部的任何其他器官。

I'm going to pause here while Alex is working on optimizing the robot.

我在这里暂停一下， 亚历克斯（Alex）正在优化机器人。

AL: There we go.

AL：好了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

VK: So this is our goal. Be anywhere in the world.

VK：这就是我们的目标， 出现在世界的任何地方。

Whether you're at home, sitting on your couch,

无论你是在家里坐在沙发上，

visiting space, or right here onstage at TED.

正在太空旅行， 还是在TED的舞台上。

What do you think, Alex? You should go ahead and swallow a PillBot?

你觉得呢，亚历克斯（Alex）？ 你应该吞下 PillBot 吗？

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼）

So, as you can see, in just a few seconds, PillBot entered the stomach.

如你所见，在几秒钟内， PillBot 进入了胃里。

So we're in the stomach now,

我们现在在胃里，

and I'm carefully navigating around,

我正在小心翼翼地操控，

looking for any changes in surface architecture

寻找表面结构的变化，

that might represent an ulcer or a cancer, or any other pathology.

可能代表溃疡、 癌症或其他病变。

And I'm able to get very similar views

我能够获得的视野程度，

as I would if I'd used a conventional endoscope.

与使用传统内窥镜非常相似。

Now I'm able to see the entire stomach

现在，我能够看到整个胃部，

and revisit sites that piqued my curiosity.

并再次观察那些令我好奇的地方。

And what could further improve this experience

而且我们还能优化观察体验，

is if we used an augmented reality headset for 3D visualization of a stomach,

如果使用增强现实头戴设备 可以看见胃部的 3D 视图，

or artificial intelligence for detection and characterization of an abnormality.

或者使用人工智能 对异常处进行检测和定性。

Now, fortunately for Alex,

对亚历克斯（Alex）来说幸运的是，

on this brief review, everything is looking normal here.

在这次简单的检查中， 一切看起来都很正常。

(Laughter and applause)

（笑声和掌声）

Though if there were a problem,

但是，如果有问题的话，

being able to show and discuss with Alex in real time

也能给亚历克斯（Alex） 实时展示并与他讨论问题，

elevates his understanding of his health

能让他更了解自己的健康状况

and is going to make him more compliant with therapy.

也能让他更配合治疗。

So now that we're done here,

现在我们工作结束了，

PillBot will take its natural course through and out the body.

PillBot 将通过 最自然的路径被排出体外。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And fortunately for Alex, he'll have no awareness of this,

对亚历克斯（Alex）来说幸运的是， 他不会意识到这一点，

and he won't have to retrieve this capsule.

他也不用去取出这个胶囊了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now this robot was designed for the stomach,

目前这个机器人是为胃部设计的，

though the entire body needs this capability.

尽管整个人体都需要这种检查装备。

Parts of the body, such as the colon, the heart and the brain

人体的各个部位， 如结肠、心脏和大脑，

should be made accessible with specialized robots

都应该能够使用专门的机器人，

that are just as easy to use.

而且他们用起来应该很方便。

I've dreamt of the day

我一直梦想着有一天，

when I could explore the inside of the human body with robots,

能用机器人探索人体内部。

recognizing it would be an inflection point

我意识到这将是一个转折点，

in my ability to help people live longer and healthier lives.

用我的能力去帮助 人们活得更健康长久。

Back to you, Alex.

舞台还给你， 亚历克斯（Alex）。

(Applause)

（掌声）

AL: That was yummy.

AL：太好吃了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And no, you don't feel anything when the robot moves around inside you.

我的回答是，你没有感觉，

当机器人在体内移动时， 你什么也感觉不到。

It's quite, quite simple.

这很简单。

But think of that.

但想想看，

How easy it was to get access to internal imagery anywhere.

无论在哪儿， 都能很容易看到体内影像。

So that's going to allow us not only internal imagery,

因此，这不仅可以 让我们获得体内影像，

but also the diagnosis and the treatment that the doctor might be able to give.

还能获得医生可能 给出的的诊断和治疗。

That's going to give us access to a vast amount of information

这将让我们获得大量信息，

that we can then use to train AI.

然后可以用来训练人工智能。

And with AI, we're going to be able

有了人工智能，

to have it automate a whole variety of different functions,

我们就能让它自动执行各种功能，

from performance improvement of the robot itself

从提高机器人本身的性能

to autonomous control,

到自主控制，

where it actually flies around and maps out the entire interior surface

也就是自动飞来飞去， 并绘制出胃的整个内表面的程度。

of the stomach all on its own.

That diagnosis and the treatment also comes along with that.

随之可以诊断和治疗。

And we train AI to help learn how to do that.

我们训练人工智能 帮助它学习如何做到这样，

And eventually, interventions.

最后是干预措施。

Let's talk about a little bit where we want to go next.

我们来聊聊下一步的能做什么。

So the first thing we're going to do, we'll add some accelerometers on there,

我们要做的第一件事就是 添加一些加速度测量计，

so it actually helps with that autonomous control.

这有助于实现自主控制。

Also very interesting, we can start adding different sensors.

同样，有意思的是， 我们可以开始添加各种传感器，

So wherever the robot is going,

无论机器人走到哪里，

we can go ahead and measure the health of what it's looking at right there.

我们都可以直接检测 它正在观察的部分的健康状况。

And as far as doing lab-on-chip capabilities

甚至添加芯片实验室功能，

where you can actually analyze the material

就可以用机器人 就地直接分析材料。

right there in situ on the robot.

Imagine now being able to put different tools onto this,

现在想象一下， 你可以在机器人上安装各种工具，

where you can cut and you can cauterize

进行切割、烧灼或注射药物。

or inject medicine.

Well, now you have a pill surgeon.

好了，现在你拥有了 一个药丸外科医生。

And of course, you can have clusters of these robots

当然，你还可以 让机器人们协同工作，

that work together in unison

to do complex procedures inside the human body.

在人体内完成复杂的程序。

To go even smaller, we actually have technology that exists today

事实上，我们的现存科技 可以制造纳米级的机器人，

that allows us to make robots at the nanoscale,

which now can bring robots anywhere in the human body,

这样，机器人就可以 到达人体内的任何地方，

even into the human brain.

甚至进入人脑。

And there's some phenomenal power sources that are available,

此外，还有一些 现象级的动力源也即将出现。

coming online as well.

While PillBot is just about to go through clinical trials,

虽然 PillBot 即将通过临床试验，

it'll be a couple of years till it's on the market.

但真正上市还需要几年时间。

There's a long way to go we still have

我们还有很长的路要走，

to bring the full ability to do inner space exploration on us all.

才能让所有人 都具备进行体内探索的能力。

But it's a worthwhile journey to go on.

但这是一段值得一走的旅程，

Imagine being able to have all this information for you,

想象一下，你能够掌握所有信息，

for your health, for your family and for humanity.

为了你自己，为了你的健康， 为了你的家人，为了人类。

So I'd like to invite all of you to join us in being brave.

因此，我想邀请大家 和我们一起勇敢前行，

And let's bring microrobots inside the human body.

把微型机器人带进人体。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼）