Cesar Harada: A novel idea for cleaning up oil spills

Translator: Morton Bast Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

翻译人员: Sophie Zhao 校对人员: Yu-Jia Wang

In the ocean,

在海洋里

what is the common point

石油，塑料和放射性物质

between oil, plastic and radioactivity?

有什么共同点呢？

On the top line, this is the BP oil spill:

最上面一行是 BP 公司的石油泄漏

billions of barrels of oil gushing

数十亿桶石油迸发而出

in the Gulf of Mexico.

倾泻在墨西哥湾

The middle line is millions of tons of

中间那行是数百万吨

plastic debris accumulating in our ocean,

塑料废物堆积在我们的海洋中

and the third line is radioactive material

第三行是从福岛核电站

leaking from Fukushima nuclear power plant

泄漏到太平洋的

in the Pacific Ocean.

放射性物质

Well, the three big problems have in common

所以， 这三个严重问题的共同点就是

that they are man-made problems

它们都是人类造成的问题

but they are controlled by natural forces.

但它们都受自然力量所控制

This should make us feel very, terribly awful

这应该使我们感到非常难受

as much as it should make us feel hopeful,

但它也应该使我们感到希望

because if we have the power to create these problems,

因为如果我们有造成这些问题的能力

we may as well have the power

我们也许就同样有能力

to remediate these problems.

解决这些问题

But what about natural forces?

但是自然的力量该怎么办呢？

Well, that's exactly what I want to talk about today,

这正是我今天想要说的

is how we can use these natural forces

就是我们该怎样利用自然的力量

to remediate these man-made problems.

来解决人为问题

When the BP oil spill happened,

当BP公司的石油泄漏的时候

I was working at MIT, and I was in charge

我正在MIT工作， 而且我负责

of developing an oil spill-cleaning technology.

研发一项清理石油泄漏的科技

And I had a chance to go in the Gulf of Mexico

我有机会去墨西哥湾

and meet some fishermen and see

去见一些渔民

the terrible conditions in which they were working.

去看看他们工作的恶劣环境

More than 700 of these boats,

超过700艘渔船

which are fishermen boats repurposed

被用作清理油污的船只

with oil absorbent in white

白色的船用来吸收油污

and oil containment in orange, were used,

橘红色的用来装载油污

but they only collected three percent of the oil on the surface,

但他们仅仅清理了漂浮在海洋表面的油污的百分之三

and the health of the cleaners

而那些工作人员的健康

were very deeply affected.

却受到极大的影响

I was working on a very interesting technology

我当时在MIT研发一项有趣的技术

at MIT, but it was a very long-term view

但它是一种关于如何发展技术的

of how to develop technology,

非常长远的观点

and it was going to be a very expensive technology,

而且它会是一项昂贵的技术

and also it would be patented.

它也会被申请专利

So I wanted to develop something that we could

所以我想研发一些发展很快的

develop very fast, that would be cheap,

投入相对小

and that would be open-source, so, because

并且开源的技术

oil spills are not only happening in the Gulf of Mexico,

因为原油泄漏并不仅仅发生在墨西哥湾

and that would be using renewable energy.

而且那会使用可再生能源

So I quit my dream job,

所以我放弃了我梦想的工作

and I moved to New Orleans,

搬去新奥尔良

and I kept on studying how the oil spill was happening.

我继续学习石油泄漏是怎样发生的

Currently, what they were doing is

目前，他们所做的是

that they were using these small fishing boats,

用这些小渔船来清理

and they were cleaning clean lines in an ocean of dirt.

而且他们只是在大片被污染的海洋中清理出几条干净的航线

If you're using the exact same amount of surface

如果你用同样面积的

of oil absorbent, but you're just paying attention

原油吸收船，但你会注意到

to natural patterns, and if you're going up the winds,

更自然的模式，如果你逆风航行

you can collect a lot more material.

就能收集到更多原油

If you're multiplying the rig,

如果你增加船只

so you multiply how many layers of absorbent

你就能增加吸收材料的层数

you're using, you can collect a lot more.

那你就能收集到更多更多的原油

But it's extremely difficult to move oil absorbent

但让吸收原油的船

against the winds, the surface currents and the waves.

逆着风向，洋流和海浪航行是极其困难的

These are enormous forces.

那些都是非常强大的力量

So the very simple idea was to use the ancient technique

所以最简单的方法是用古代的科技

of sailing and tacking of the wind

来航行和改变航向

to capture or intercept the oil

从而收集或拦截

that is drifting down the wind.

顺着风向蔓延的原油

So this didn't require any invention.

这并不需要任何发明

We just took a simple sailing boat

我们只是拿一艘简单的帆船

and we tried to pull something long and heavy,

然后设法让它拖着一些又长又重的东西

but as we tacked back and forth,

但当我们来回穿梭的时候

what we lost was two things:

我们无法保持两件事

we were losing pulling power and direction.

我们失去了拉动力和方向

And so, I thought, what about if we just take the rudder

所以我想，我们把船舵

from the back of the boat to the front,

从船后面拿到前面来会怎么样呢？

would we have better control?

我们能控制的更好吗？

So I built this small sailing robot

所以我做了这只小帆船机器人

with the rudder at the front,

它的舵在前面

and I was trying to pull something very long and heavy,

我试图拖曳一些又长又重的东西

so that's a four-meter-long object just to pull,

所以要拖的是个四米长的物体

and I was surprised with just a 14-centimeter rudder,

让我惊讶的是仅仅14厘米的船舵

I could control four meters of absorbent.

就能控制四米长的吸收材料

Then I was so happy that I kept playing with the robot,

我非常高兴能一直摆弄这个小机器

and so you see the robot has

你能看到这只机器船

a front rudder here.

有一个舵在前面

Normally it's at the back.

正常的话它应该在后面

And, playing, I realized that the maneuverability

我摆弄它的时候注意到

of this was really amazing,

它的可控性是惊人的

and I could avoid an obstacle at the very last second,

我能在最后一秒躲开一个障碍物

more maneuverable than a normal boat.

它比一般的船可控性更强

Then I started publishing online, and

接着我开始在网上发布

some friends from Korea, they started being

一些来自韩国的朋友开始对这项发明感兴趣

interested in this, and we made a boat

所以我们又做了一艘船

which has a front rudder and a back rudder,

它前面后面都有船舵

so we started interacting with this,

所以我们开始与它互动

and it was slightly better,

它又变好了一点

although it was very small and a bit off balance,

尽管它很小还有一点不平衡

but then we thought,

但之后我们想

what if we have more than two points of control?

我们再多加一些控制点会怎样呢？

What if the entire boat becomes a point of control?

如果整艘船变成一个控制点会怎样呢？

What if the entire boat changes shape?

整艘船的形状能够改变会怎样呢？

So — (Applause)

所以--（掌声）

Thank you very much. (Applause)

非常感谢（掌声）

And so that's the beginning of Protei,

这就是Protei的开始

and that's the first boat in history

这是历史上第一艘

that completely changed the shape of the hull

能够完全改变船身形状的船

in order to control it,

这是为了能更好的控制它

and the properties of sailing that we get

这艘帆船的性能

are very superior compared to a normal boat.

也比一般的船好得多

When we're turning, we have the feeling of surfing,

当我们转向的时候， 我们有一种冲浪的感觉

and the way it's going up-wind, it's very efficient.

还有它逆风航行的时候，它非常高效

This is low speed, low wind speed,

这是低速--低风速的状态

and the maneuverability is very increased,

可控性提高了很多

and here I'm going to do a small jibe,

我来做个小转向

and look at the position of the sail.

看帆的位置

What's happening is that, because the boat changes shape,

现在，因为船身变形了

the position of the front sail and the main sail

前帆的位置和主控帆的位置

are different to the wind.

对风向来说是不同的

We're catching wind from both sides.

我们在两个方向都兜住了风

And this is exactly what we're looking [for]

这正是我们所期待的

if we want to pull something long and heavy.

如果我们需要拉动一些又长又重的东西

We don't want to lose pulling power, nor direction.

我们就既不能失去拉动力也不能失去方向

So, I wanted to know if this was possible

所以我想知道有没有可能

to put this at an industrial level,

把它投入工业化生产

so we made a large boat with a large sail,

所以我们做了一艘有更大的帆的船

and with a very light hull, inflatable,

它的船身非常轻，充气式的

very small footprint,

在水面激起的涟漪很小

so we have a very big size and power ratio.

我们的船尺寸很大而且动力很强

After this, we wanted to see if we could

这之后， 我们想看看我们能否

implement this and automate the system,

实施并实现系统的自动化

so we used the same system but we added

所以我们应用了相同的系统但又加了

a structure to it so we could activate the machine.

一个结构， 这样我们就能启动这台机器了

So, we used the same bladder-inflated system,

所以， 我们应用了相同的囊状充气式系统

and we took it for testing.

然后我们拿它做了一次测试

So this is happening in the Netherlands.

这是在荷兰

We tried in the water without any skin or ballast

我们把它放在水里，没有加外壳和任何装载物

just to see how it works.

只是看看它是如何工作的

And then we mounted a camera for controlling it,

我们装了一架摄像机来控制它

but quickly we saw that we would need

但很快我们就发现

a lot more weight at the bottom,

底部需要更多重量

so we had to take it back to the lab,

所以我们只好把它拿回实验室

and then we built a skin around it,

并给它装上外壳

we put batteries, remote controllers, and then

我们装了电池，遥控器

we put it in the water and then we

然后我们把它放在水中，接着我们

let it go in the water and see how well it would work,

让它在水中自由航行，看它工作的有多好

so let some rope out, and hope it's going to work,

我们拿掉绳子，希望它能运转的很好

and it worked okay, but we still have a long way.

它运行的还行，但我们还有很长的路要走

Our small prototype has given us good insight

我们的小模型让我们相信

that it's working very well,

这项技术会发展的很好

but we still need to work a lot more on this.

但我们还是有很多工作要做

So what we are doing is an accelerated evolution

所以我们现在所做的

of sailing technology.

是对帆船的改进科技

We went from a back rudder to a front rudder

我们从后置船舵到前置船舵

to two rudders to multiple rudders

从双舵到多船舵

to the whole boat changing shape,

再到改变整个船身的形状

and the more we are moving forward,

我们进展的越多

and the more the design looks simple and cute. (Laughter)

这个设计就变得越简单可爱(笑声）

But I wanted to show you a fish because --

但我想给你们看一条鱼，因为——

In fact, it's very different from a fish.

实际上，它和鱼很不同

A fish will move because -- by changing like this,

鱼会游是因为--它们会改变形状

but our boat is propelled by the wind still,

但我们的船依旧是靠风力推动的

and the hull controls the trajectory.

而且由船身控制行进轨道

So I brought to you for the first time on the TED stage

所以我第一次在TED上把Protei 八号展示给你们

Protei Number Eight. It's not the last one,

这不是最新型号

but it's a good one for making demos.

但这很适合用来做演示

So the first thing as I show you in the video is

就像我在录像里给你们展示的一样，首先我要给你们看的是

that we may be able to control the trajectory

我们也许可以更好的

of a sailing boat better,

控制帆船的行进轨道

or we may be able to never be in irons,

或者我们再也不会背离风向

so never facing the wind,

所以不会逆风行驶

we always can catch the wind from both sides.

我们总是可以两面都迎风

But new properties of a sailing boat.

这些都是帆船的新性能

So if you're looking at the boat from this side,

所以如果你从这个方向看这艘船

this might remind you of an airplane profile.

这或许会让你想到飞机的侧面

An airplane, when you're moving in this direction,

如果是飞机的话， 当你往这个方向移动的时候

starts to lift, and that's how it takes off.

开始上升， 然后它就这样起飞了

Now, if you're taking the same system,

现在， 如果你用相同的系统

and you're putting vertical, you're bending,

如果你把它竖着放，它就会变弯

and if you're moving this way forward,

如果你让它往这个方向移动

your instinct will tell you that you might go this way,

你的直觉将会告诉你它将往这个方向运动

but if you're moving fast enough,

但如果它移动的足够快

you might create what we call lateral lift,

你将会造成我们所谓的侧面上升

so we could get further or closer to the wind.

所以我们就能走的更远或者更接近风

Other property is this:

它的另一个性能是

A normal sailing boat has a centerboard here

一个普通的帆船在这儿有一个中插板

and a rudder at the back,

和一个在后面的船舵

and these two things are what creates most

这两件东西给船造成最多

resistance and turbulence behind the boat,

阻力和摇晃

but because this doesn't have either

但因为这个既没有

a centerboard or a rudder,

中插板也没有船舵

we hope that if we keep working on this hull design

我们希望如果我们在这种船身设计上努力

we can improve and have less resistance.

我们能改进并减少阻力

The other thing is, most boats, when they reach

另外， 大部分船， 当它们达到

a certain speed, and they are going on waves,

一定的速度，而且在风浪中航行的时候

they start to hit and slap on the surface of the water,

它们就会撞击和拍打水面

and a lot of the energy moving forward is lost.

这样就会消耗很多前进的能量

But if we're going with the flow,

但如果我们顺着水流行进

if we pay attention to natural patterns

如果我们注意自然的模式

instead of trying to be strong,

而不是试图与之对抗

but if you're going with the flow, we may absorb

如果你顺着水流航行，我们会吸收

a lot of environmental noises, so the wave energy,

很多来自于环境的噪音，也就是海浪的能量

to actually save some energy to move forward.

这样就能节省一些前进的能量

So we may have developed the technology

所以我们可能已经研发出一项技术

which is very efficient for pulling something long and heavy,

它可以非常高效地拖曳又长又重的东西

but the idea is, what is the purpose of technology

但问题是，如果不能给合适的人群使用

if it doesn't reach the right hands?

科技的目的又是什么呢？

Normal technology or innovation happens like this:

正常的科技或创新是这样发生的：

Somebody has an interesting idea,

有人有了一个有趣的想法

some other scientist or engineer,

其他一些科学家或工程师

they take it to the next level, they make a theory about it

会将它带入下个阶段， 他们建立关于它的理论

and maybe they patent it,

然后申请专利

and then some industry will make a contract

接着一些企业会签订合约

of exclusivity to manufacture and sell it,

进而独自生产和销售它

and then, eventually, a buyer will buy it,

然后，终于，一个买家将会购买它

and we hope that they are going to use [it] for a good purpose.

但我们希望他们会以好的目的去利用它

What we really want is that this innovation happens

我们真正希望的是这项创造

continuously. The inventor and engineers

会持续发生 --发明者和工程师

and also the manufacturers and everybody

还有制造商和所有人

works at the same time, but this would be sterile

同时工作，但如果他们各自的工作以平行的没有交集

if this was happening in a parallel and uncrossed process.

的方式进行，将毫无结果

What you really want is not a sequential,

你想要的不是一连串的

not parallel development.

互相平行的发展

You want to have a network of innovation.

你想要一个创新的网络

You want everybody, like we're doing now,

你希望每个人，就像我们现在所做的

to work at the same time, and that can only happen

在同时工作，这只有在

if these people all together decide to share the information,

大家共同决定共享信息的情况下才能发生

and that's exactly what open hardware is about.

这正是硬件开源所做的

It's to replace competition by collaboration.

它用合作代替了竞争

It's to transform any new product into a new market.

它将新产品推向市场

So what is open hardware?

所以，什么是硬件开源呢？

Essentially, open hardware is a license.

实际上， 硬件开源是一个协议

It's just an intellectual property setup.

它只是一项知识产权计划

It means that everybody is free to use,

它意味着每个人都有权

modify and distribute, and in exchange

使用，改造和贡献，还有交换

we only ask for two things:

我们只要求两件事

The name is credited -- the name of the project --

保留这项计划的项目的名字

and also the people who make improvement,

还有那些帮助完善这个计划的人的

they share back with the community.

他们在协作社区中相互分享

So it's a very simple condition.

所以这非常简单

And I started this project alone in a garage in New Orleans,

我独自在新奥尔良的一间仓库里开始了这个计划

but quickly after I wanted to publish and share

但很快的，我想要发布并分享

this information, so I made a Kickstarter,

这个信息，所以我制作了一个Kickstarter,

which is a crowd-fundraising platform,

它是一个向大众筹集资金的平台

and in about one month we fundraised 30,000 dollars.

在大约一个月时间里我们就筹集到三万美元

With this money, I hired a team of young engineers

我用这些钱雇佣了一组年轻的工程师

from all over the world, and we rented a factory

他们来自世界各地，我们还在荷兰的鹿特丹

in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

租了一间工厂

We were peer-learning, we were engineering,

我们一起学习，一起实施工程

we were making things, prototyping,

我们做东西，做模型

but most importantly we were trying our prototypes

但最重要的是我们尽可能经常地在水里

in the water as often as possible,

试验我们的技术原型

to fail as quickly as possible, to learn from.

为了从中学习，我们必须让它尽可能快的失败

This is a proud member of Protei from Korea,

这是我们一位来自韩国的重要成员

and on the right side, this is a multiple-masts

右边的是一个多重桅杆

design proposed by a team in Mexico.

它是由来自墨西哥的一个团队设计的

This idea really appealed to Gabriella Levine

纽约的Gabriella Levine 非常喜欢这个主意

in New York, and so she decided to prototype

于是她决定做个模型

this idea that she saw, and she documented

把她看到的做出来，然后

every step of the process,

把每个过程记录下来

and she published it on Instructables,

然后她把它发布在Instructables 上

which is a website for sharing inventions.

那是一个分享发明的网站

Less than one week after,

不到一星期

this is a team in Eindhoven, it's a school of engineering.

这是一个艾恩德霍文（荷兰城市）的小组，他们都是工程师

They made it, but they eventually published

他们将它制造出来，但他们最终

a simplified design.

发布了一个简单的设计

They also made it into an Instructable,

他们也把它发布在Instructable上

and in less than one week, they had

不到一星期，他们就有

almost 10,000 views, and they got many new friends.

将近一万次浏览，而且他们交到很多新朋友

We're working on also simpler technology,

我们正在研发的也是简单的科技

not that complex, with younger people

不是特别复杂，我们中有年轻人

and also older people,

也有老人

like this dinosaur is from Mexico. (Laughter)

就像这只来自墨西哥的恐龙（笑声）

So Protei is now an international network

所以Protei 项目现在是一个全球性的

of innovation for selling technology

利用这个变形船身

using this shape-shifting hull.

来销售科技的创新网络

And what puts us together is that we have a common,

让我们聚在一起的

at least, global understanding

是对“商业”这个词的相同的全球性理解

of what the word "business" is, or what it should be.

或者说它的发展方向

This is how most work today.

这就是现在它工作的方式

Business as usual is saying, what's most important

商业，正如通常所说

is to make lots of profit, and you'll be using

最重要的是盈利，你将会使用

technology for that, and people will be your work force,

科技来达到目标，而人们将会成为你的劳动力

instrumentalized,

工具化

and environment is usually the last priority.

和环境通常是最后要考虑的

It will be just a way to, say, greenwash your audience

它只是给你的听众的一个绿色假象

and, say, increase your price tag.

以此来抬高价格

What we're trying to do, or what we believe,

我们正在做的是，或者我们相信的是

because this is how we believe the world really works,

我们相信世界实际上这样运转

is that without the environment you have nothing.

没有环境你就什么都没有

We have the people so we need to protect each other, yes,

我们需要大众的支持，所以我们需要互相保护，对

and we're a technology company,

而且我们是一家科技公司

and profit is necessary to make this happen. (Applause)

而盈利是使这一切成为可能的必要条件（掌声）

Thank you very much. (Applause)

非常感谢（掌声）

If we have the courage to understand or accept

如果我们有勇气去理解和接受

that this actually how the world really works,

这世界真正的运转方式

and this is the order of priority that we need to choose,

那么我们必须选择这样的优先顺序

then it makes obvious why we need

这就非常清楚的解释了为什么我们需要

to choose open hardware for developing environmental

选择硬件开源来发展环境科技

technology, because we need to share information.

因为我们需要共享信息

What's next for us?

对我们来说下一步是什么？

So, this small machine that you've seen,

你们看到的那台小机器

we're hoping to make small toys like

我们希望能制造

one-meter remote control Protei that you can upgrade --

像那个可以升级和遥控的一米长的Protei那样的小玩具

so replace the remote control parts by Androids,

你可以把遥控器换成安卓

so the mobile phone, and Arduino micro-controller,

换成智能手机，还有Arduino微型操控系统

so you could be controlling this

所以你就能

from your mobile phone, your tablet.

利用你的手机或平板电脑控制它

Then what we want to do is create six-meter versions

然后我们要做的是制造六米长的版本

so we can test the maximum performance of these machines,

这样我们就能测试这些机器的最佳性能

so we can go at very, very high speed.

这样我们就能达到非常非常大的速度

So imagine yourself.

所以你们自己想象吧

You are laying down in a flexible torpedo,

你躺在一个灵活的鱼雷上

sailing at high speed,

高速航行

controlling the shape of the hull with your legs

用你的腿控制船身的形状

and controlling the sail with your arms.

用你的胳膊控制帆

So that's what we're looking for developing. (Applause)

那就是我们希望完成的东西

And we replace the human being --

我们还可以替换人类--

to go, for example, for measuring radioactivity,

比如，测量放射性物质的时候

you don't want a human to be sailing those robots --

你不会想让人类去驾驶那些船

with batteries, motors, micro-controllers and sensors.

所以就用电池，发动机，微型控制器和传感器来代替人类

This is what our teammates, we dream of at night.

这就是我们的队员每天晚上梦到的事

We hope that we can sometime clean up oil spills,

我们希望我们有一天能清理掉泄漏的原油

or we can gather or collect plastic in the ocean,

或者收集或聚集海洋中的塑料废物

or we can have swarms of our machines

或者我们能够拥有一大群这种机器

controlled by multi-player video game engines

被多人网络游戏引擎所控制

to control many of these machines,

来控制很多这些机器

to monitor coral reefs

去监测珊瑚礁

or to monitor fisheries.

去监控鱼群

Our hope is that we can use open hardware technology

我们希望可以用硬件开源技术

to better understand and protect our oceans.

来更好的了解和保护我们的海洋

Thank you very much. (Applause)

非常感谢（掌声）

(Applause)

掌声